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Colonel H. S. Huidekopek. 



LlEUTENANT-COLUNKL i'nOS. ChAMEERLIN. 




Brevet Bkkiadier-Genekal Langhokne Wister. 





Brevet Major R. L. Asmiii'kst. 



Sur(;eon Michael O'Haka. 



HISTORV 



ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH REGIMENT 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS, 



SECOND REGIMENT, BUCKTAIL BRIGADE. 



BY 

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL THOMAS CHAMBERLIN, 

HISTORIAN OF THE SURVIVORS' ASSOCIATION. 




PHILADELPHIA: _^? '^ ^ ^ 

PRINTED BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. 
1S95. 



,c 



Copyright, 1895, 

BY 

Thomas Chamberlin. 



Dedicated 



THE SURVIVING OFFICERS AND MEN 



" 150th,V 



TO THE MEMORY OF ITS DEAD. 



PREFACE. 



Now that nearly a third of a century has elapsed since the 
150th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers gathered to the 
colors, when inquiry is made about the beginnings of the 
organization, the recollections of many of its most intelligent 
members are found to be more or less confused, and on some 
points quite unreliable. Is it that the infancy of a regiment, 
like that of an individual, has nothing in it of sufficient value 
to be remembered and preserved to posterity ? Possibly not 
much. Yet, if even for a few of those still living who fought 
in the great War for the Union ; or for the friends who were, for 
valid reasons, unable to share their trials, but watched with 
solicitude their progress in the field ; or for the larger number 
of those who pride themselves on their descent from the 
patriotic actors in that grand tragedy, the birth and early 
movements of a particular military body have their interest, it 
is a sufficient warrant for noting in permanent form all that may 
be known of them. 

It is scarcely a matter of wonder that the minute details of 
the organization of a regiment are so imperfectly recalled by 
its members. In the first days of his enlistment the eager 
soldier looks forward to the time of important deeds and chafes 
at every hour's delay in town or camp. However seriously his 
ambitions may be modified by actual experience of warfare, his 
desire at the start is to meet the foe as promptly as possible, — 
to hear the rattle of musketry, the clash of sabres, the boom 
of cannon, and to snuff the intoxicating smoke of battle. All 

5 



6 PREFACE. 

else is " rubbish." Only after marching orders have set the 
machine of which he is a part in motion is the patient military 
" chronicler of small things" developed. Pocket annals blos- 
som then on every side. Soon, however, the ardor of many 
would-be historians is chilled as the strain of daily duty grows 
more severe, and of diaries it is presently only a question of 
the " survival of the fittest." 

After the transfer of the 150th from Harrisburg to Washing- 
ton, the materials for a circumstantial account of its doings and 
experiences grow more abundant. It is the previous gap that 
is difficult to bridge over. But as some old and valued nurse 
is usually at hand to clear up misty points of family history or 
chronology, so there are still those left who stood in a manner 
as nurses to the infant organization, and, besides witnessing its 
birth, watched its growth, followed or shared the actions of its 
vigorous maturity, and continue to enjoy the memory of its 
achievements. From these have been gathered, as opportunity 
offered, many facts which — if of small general value — may 
prove interesting to the surviving members of the regiment 
and to their families and friends. 

The narrative of the campaigns of the 150th — its tent-life, 
marches, and battles — has been drawn from all available sources, 
— chiefly from diaries kept by enlisted men and from letters 
"written from the field, supplemented by the recollections of 
field-, staff-, and line-officers, as well as of the rank and file. 
Nothing has been set down without careful authentication, and 
where the memory of witnesses has clashed in respect to any 
important incident, everything possible has been done to recon- 
cile the disagreement and reach the actual fact. 

Acknowledgments are due to General H. S. Huidekoper 
and Brevet Major R. L. Ashhurst for the use of valuable private 
army correspondence ; to Colonel George W. Jones, Captain 
H. K. Lukens, and Sergeant William R. Ramsey for many 
items of interest; to Adjutant William Wright for written 



PREFACE. 7 

accounts of the battles of the North Anna and Hatcher's Run, 
and of the expedition to Fall Brook; to Rev. H. M. Kieffer, D.D., 
for copies of his weekly reports, as hospital steward, for the 
greater part of the year 1864; and to Sergeant Albert Mealey, 
Corporal George A. Dixon, and Frank H. Elvidge, all of Com- 
pany A, for the loan of diaries, — that of Private Elvidge in 
particular, on account of its covering a longer period of time 
and entering more fully into the details of each day's opera- 
tions, proving the most serviceable contribution received from 
any quarter. Thanks are also due to many other members of 
the regiment for valuable suggestions and assistance from time 
to time as the work progressed, and to Mr. Ellicott Fisher, 
brother of the late Captain Harvey Fisher, of Company A, for 
the use of letters and papers left by the latter, relating to his 
army career. 

If many matters are recalled by members of the command 
which find no place in this history, — such as instances of indi- 
vidual daring, humorous or pathetic happenings, unique ex- 
periences in camp or field, — their absence is explained by the 
fact that repeated requests for material of this kind received but 
a meagre response, to the regret of the writer, who knows the 
value of incident and anecdote in such a narrative. His work 
has been done painstakingly and conscientiously, in hours with 
difficulty snatched from an exacting business ; and if his book, 
which is truly a labor of love, have no other merit, it is at least, 
or aims to be, a faithful presentation of the truth. 

Philadelphia, April 10, 1895. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. — Organization — The Philadelphia Companies ii 

11. — To Harrisburg — Regimental Organization 21 

III. — Concerning the "Bucktail Brigade" 27 

IV. — On to Washington — In Washington 31 

V. — Social and other Matters 38 

VI. — Details for Duty — Breaking up of the Camp 42 

VII. — Washington in the Winter of 1862-1863 49 

VIII. — To the Front — Belle Plain . •. 55 

IX. — Various Happenings in and out of Camp 62 

X. — Night March to Port Conway — Artillery Engagement 

at Pollock's Mills 72 

XI. — Chancellorsville 80 

XII. — In Camp at White Oak Church 91 

XIII. — To Gettysburg • loi 

XIV. — Gettysburg — First Day no 

XV. — Gettysburg, to a Finish 131 

XVI. — Return to Virginia — From Pillar to Post 146 

XVII. — From Centreville back to the "Old Stamping Ground" 

— Warrenton Junction — Mine Run — Paoli Mills ... 156 
XVII I. — Culpeper — Raccoon Ford — A would-be Incapable — An Ap- 
peal TO C.^SAR — Resignations 169 

XIX. — Across the Rapidan— The Wilderness 182 

XX. — Laurel Hill — Spottsylvania 193 

XXI. — The Affair at the North Anna — Totopoto.moy 201 

XXII. — From Cold Harbor to Petersburg 209 

XXIII. — Fort Sedgwick (or " Hell") — Making Converts — Weldon 

Railroad 222 

XXIV. — Fort Dushane — First Movement on Hatcher's Run . . . 232 
XXV. — In Winter-Quarters — Exchange of Arms — Presidential 
Election — Second Weldon Railroad Expedition — Second 

Hatcher's Run (or Dabney's Mill) 243 

XXVI. — To Elmira, New York — Guarding Conscripts — Expedition 
to Fall Brook, Pennsylvania, and a Bloodless Victory 

— Muster-out and Final Pay — Home again 250 

Appendix 261 

9 



HISTORY 



150TH Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. 



CHAPTER I. 

ORGANIZATION — THE PHILADELPHIA COMPANIES. 

The 150th Pennsylvania Volunteers, like many other regi- 
ments designated by advanced numbers, was born of the ex- 
igencies of the government resulting from the disasters of the 
campaign in front of Richmond in the summer of 1862, — dis- 
asters which could in no sense be attributed to any lack of 
spirit, courage, or intelligence on the part of the Army of the 
Potomac, whose fighting qualities never shone more conspicu- 
ously than on the fields of Mechanicsville, Gaines's Mill, and 
Malvern Hill, but rather to a fatal defect in its management, 
which a comparison of the records of the two contending forces 
has already made plain. The pestilential air of the Chicka- 
hominy vied with the bullets and shells of the enemy in 
thinning the ranks of our troops, and at the end of the Seven 
Days' battles the necessity for immediate and active recruiting 
was painfully apparent. In July of that year, while the army 
was lying inactive at Harrison's Landing, on the James River, 
Major Roy Stone, who had commanded with great skill and gal- 
lantry the six companies of the ist Pennsylvania Rifles (better 
known as the" Bucktails," 13th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserve 



12 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Volunteer Corps, or 42d Regiment' Pennsylvania Volunteers), 
serving with McClellan, — the other four companies had been 
detached, and were operating with McDowell's command, under 
Lieutenant- Colonel Thomas L. Kane, — asked for and obtained 
orders to proceed to Pennsylvania on recruiting service. He 
had participated in most of the engagements in the ill-advised 
and humiliating "change of base," and while his little battalion 
had established an enviable reputation for valor and efficiency, 
it had met with most serious losses. It was to repair this waste 
that the major avowedly started on his mission ; but in consul- 
tation with his colonel, Hugh W. McNeil, who had just re- 
turned to his command after a considerable absence caused by 
sickness, he had broached the further idea of raising a brigade 
of the same stamp of men as the 1st Rifles, which the colonel 
caught up with much enthusiasm. The plan lay very near to 
Major Stone's heart, and he needed no urging to put it in execu- 
tion. Colonel McNeil at once addressed the following letter to 

Governor Curtin : 

" Head-Quarters ist Rifles, P.R.V.C, 

" Harrison's Landing, Va., July 8, 1862. 

'■ Hon. a, G. Curtin, Governor of Pennsylvania. 

" Sir, — Major Stone returns to Pennsylvania on the Recruiting Service. 
During the severe engagements of the past few days my regiment was in 
the hottest of the fight, under the command of Major Stone. The Generals 
of the Reserve Corps speak in the highest terms of its efficiency, and of 
the distinguished gallantry of that accomplished officer. Where the 
' Bucktails' fought there was no giving way of our lines, and where the 
Major would bring up his Spartan Band, there brigades would re-form 
and hold their position. General Seymour says he cannot spare a bat- 
talion of such veterans from the service, and is desirous that its strength 
be at once re-established. The name of ' Bucktail' has become a terror 
to the enemy and an inspiration to our own men. I can speak impar- 
tially of the brave fellows, as it was not my privilege to lead them, and 
as to the Major, — to him is immediately due the credit of their heroic con- 
duct on the Peninsula. A more extended organization would be greatly 
advantageous to the service. 

" A Bucktail Brigade of light infantry would reflect additional honor 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 3 

on the old Commonwealth and the Executive that has given the Pennsyl- 
vania army to the country. I hope that you may authorize Major Stone 
to recruit a brigade to be attached to the Reserve Corps. He has won his 
title to such a command by brilliant achievement on the field, that has 
elicited the commendation of his General Officers, and has a reputation 
even with McClellan. 

" I am. Governor, 

" Your most obedient servant, 

" Hugh W. McNeil, Colonel, 

" Commanding- Rifle sT 

About the same time Captain Langhorne Wister, of Com- 
pany B of the same regiment, likewise requested permission to 
go home on recruiting service, basing his application on the 
reduced condition of his command, with incidental mention of 
a personal disability resulting from a slight wound in the ankle, 
received in the battle of Gaines's Mill. His petition was favored, 
and these two officers were presently in hearty co-operation in 
an effort to realize the commendable project of a " Bucktail 
Brigade." In his eagerness to pave the way for their success. 
Colonel McNeil, on the same day on which his letter was ad- 
dressed to Governor Curtin, wrote to one of his own influential 

friends as follows : 

" Harrison's Landing, July 8, 1862. 

" Dear Theo, — Major Stone has proved himself a hero in the battles 
before Richmond. He goes to Pennsylvania to recruit our Spartan Band, 
now much reduced. He is likely to receive authority from the Department 
and the Governor to raise a ' Bucktail' Brigade. General Seymour com- 
mends him for that purpose. I would be greatly delighted that he should 
succeed. He has won, on the field, a title to a superior command, and 
proved himself eminently qualified. 

" If any ' red tape' is required, I shall ask your influence in the proper 
quarter. 

" Yours very truly, 

" H. W. McNeil, Colottel, 

" Commanding' Rifles.''' 

The idea of the new brigade was no sooner presented to 
Governor Curtin than it met with instant favor, and the requi- 



14 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

site authority for putting it on foot was given without delay. 
Through Colonel J. H. Puleston, Pennsylvania Military Agent 
at Washington (now Sir John Puleston, a member of Parlia- 
ment), the approval of the Secretary of War was readily ob- 
tained, and the United States Superintendent of Recruiting 
Service for Pennsylvania endorsed the movement. 

Before the middle of August, 1862, after due arrangements 
had been made for filling the depleted ranks of the ist Rifles, 
preparations for raising the Bucktail Brigade were begun, and 
the work was pushed forward with the utmost rapidity. In 
and near Philadelphia ten companies were speedily in process 
of formation for the regiment which eventually became the 
150th, and, if sufficient time had been allowed, doubtless all of 
these could have been filled to the required standard. Such 
was their growth that the organization was placed upon the 
rolls of the Adjutant-General's Department, at Harrisburg, as 
the " 143d," and by the 20th of August clothing and other sup- 
plies were issued to the command under that designation. Two 
weeks prior to this date the Adjutant-General issued the fol- 
lowing order : 

" Head-Quarters Pennsylvania Militia, 

• " Adjutant-General's Department, 

" Harrisburg, August 6, 1S62. 

" Major Roy Stone, — VVm. M. Dalgliesh, of Allegheny County, and 
George M. CuUen and Benj. F. Janney, of Philadelphia, having been 
appointed second lieutenants of companies, under the provisions of the 
first paragraph of General Order No. 75 of the War Department, of July 
8, 1862, you will please muster them into the service of the United States 
as such. A, L. Russell, 

" Adjutant- Genenil Pennsylvania^ 

It is possible that B. F. Janney was mustered in accordance 
with the above instructions, but, if so, the fact does not appear in 
the roster of the 150th as given in Bates's " History of the Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers," where September i, 1862, is fixed as the 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 5 

date of his muster, as captain. Following Bates as an authority, 
Lieutenant Chalkley W. Sears, of F Company, was the first 
officer of the regiment to be mustered into the United States 
service, August 9, 1862, being named as the date of his muster. 
The next oldest officers by priority of muster were Adjutant 
Richard L. Ashhurst and Assistant Surgeon James Fulton, 
whose rolls were dated August 20. 

As all of the original recruiting papers seem to have passed 
out of sight, if not out of existence, it is, at this distance of 
time, difficult to determine who were the nominal heads of all of 
the ten companies started in Philadelphia for Colonel Wister's 
proposed regiment. For the same reason it would be hard to 
tell by whom the first recruits were obtained. From the best 
information to be had, it is probable that among the earliest 
enlistments were some for Company A, effected in Germantown 
by Harvey Fisher, who became second lieutenant. Whether 
this bright and energetic young officer aimed at putting on foot 
a company of his own is not now known, nor is the inquiry 
important. Joining forces with Cornelius C. Widdis, who, with 
the assistance of influential friends, had obtained a large list of 
recruits, and with W. M, Taylor, likewise of Germantown, 
the roll of Company A soon approached completion, Widdis 
receiving the captaincy and Taylor the first lieutenancy. 

Simultaneously with the formation of A, George W. Jones 
began, in Germantown, to raise the company which became B 
in the regimental organization. He had seen active service in 
the West, having enlisted in Colonel Phelps's * regiment of 
Missouri volunteers, and fought under Sigel at Pea Ridge. The 
captain was very successful in getting men, and in four or five 
days entered about eighty on his list. 

* Colonel Phelps, who was a member of Congress, and wielded the 
sword without other than his civil pay, had his feelings greatly outraged 
by the loss of all his slaves through the instrumentality of General "Jim" 
Lane. 



1 6 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

The other Philadelphia companies were of slower growth, 
and eventually it became necessary to weld several of them 
together in order to complete the two which subsequently be- 
came E and F. Many military bodies were in process of forma- 
tion at that time, but they " materialized" slowly, in spite of a 
modest pecuniary inducement which had begun to be held out 
by the municipality to stimulate enlistments. The number of 
persons ambitious to wear shoulder-straps was out of all pro- 
portion to the number of those who were willing to handle the 
musket As a consequence, skeletons of companies, loosely 
articulated, abounded, and these in many instances fell asunder, 
— the parts to be gathered into new organizations with scarcely 
more solidity than the first. 

Benjamin F. Janney, William S. Pine, Henry W. Gimber, 
William A. Elsegood, and others were actively engaged in 
recruiting companies for the new regiment in the city proper. 
Each controlled a considerable number of men, but each found 
great difificulty in filling up even to the minimum required by 
the law. When, under pressure from the War Department, it 
became imperative to hasten the completion of companies, in 
order that the proposed regiment might take the field, the vet- 
eran Pine — an ex-sergeant of marines, who had circumnavi- 
gated the globe under Commodore Downes, in the years 1831 
to 1835, participating in the attack on the Malays of Quallah 
Batoo, in the island of Sumatra, in 1832 — consented to unite 
with Janney on condition of receiving the first lieutenancy. J. 
Quincy Carpenter, who was also instrumental in adding recruits 
to the same command, was made second lieutenant. 

Gimber's progress in procuring enlistments had been slow 
and laborious, and the prospect was far from encouraging. By 
a series of transactions, into the particulars of which it is un- 
necessary to enter, an imposing contribution was made to his 
company, of men enlisted chiefly at Phoenixville by Chalkley W. 
Sears, who became second lieutenant ; and William A. Else- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 7 

good was induced to turn over his recruits bodily to the same 
company. Of Elsegood, Sergeant WiUiam R. Ramsey says, 
" He had his recruiting office in a shoe store belonging to him- 
self or his father, on the west side of Third Street, above Chest- 
nut. It was run by Edward Kates, who was afterwards a cor- 
poral in Captain Gimber's company." The sergeant adds that he 
himself enlisted under Elsegood. The latter had been a line 
officer in the 66th Pennsylvania Volunteers, which by a series 
of misfortunes was never filled up to the required standard, 
and after a brief term of comparatively uneventful service was, 
March 3, 1862, broken up and merged into the 73d and 99th 
Regiments, Elsegood receiving the position of first lieutenant 
in Company H of the 99th. Bates's History states that he was 
promoted to the captaincy May 12, 1862, and resigned July 4 
of that year. 

Adjutant Ashhurst was of inestimable assistance in effecting 
the several consolidations mentioned, thus assuring the com- 
pletion of four companies for the regiment. It is not too 
much to say that this able young staff-officer, in whose selec- 
tion Colonel Wister was peculiarly fortunate, was the control- 
ling spirit in all the negotiations by which the Philadelphia wing 
of the organization was moulded into shape, bringing to his 
delicate task the intelligence, enthusiasm, patience, and diplo- 
macy essential to success. Embarked in the practice of the 
law under the most favorable auspices, with every prospect of 
early distinction in his profession, and with home ties of un- 
usual strength and attraction, it is in the highest degree cred- 
itable to his patriotism that he should have withdrawn from the 
many interests which claimed him to serve his country in the 
field. 

Incidentally it may be stated that the regimental recruiting 
office was on the north side of Chestnut Street, between Fifth 
and Sixth Streets, and the regimental head-quarters at No. 131 
South Fifth Street, in the law office of William Rotch Wister, 



1 8 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Esq., a brother of Colonel Langhorne Wister, who labored 
diligently to promote enlistments, and was serviceable in many 
ways. It may be interesting to recall the fact that the regimen- 
tal head-quarters of the I2ist Pennsylvania Volunteers, which 
was being raised at the same time, were in the same building, 
just across the hall-way, in the law ofifice of Chapman Biddle, 
the first colonel of that regiment. The adjutant of the I2ist, 
the lamented Thomas M. Hall, sat just across the entry at a 
desk corresponding to that used by Adjutant Ashhurst. Thus 
early in their history began the association and companionship 
of the two regiments, destined to be continued in friendly 
rivalry on many a toilsome march and on more than one 
bloody field. 

The ranks of Companies E and F were still far from full 
when those of A and B had nearly attained their maximum. 
To further the work of obtaining men an expedient was 
adopted — not entirely new or original — which resulted most 
satisfactorily. A huge furniture car of the platform variety 
was hired for the purpose, tastefully decorated with the national 
colors, and showily placarded with appeals to " Enlist in the 
Bucktail Brigade !" From poles planted in the body of the 
van hung a seductive array of bucktails to be bestowed upon 
the expected recruits. With ample provision of horses and 
martial music, this gigantic vehicle, in charge of Captain 
Janney, Sergeant Bringhurst, and others, assisted by Captain 
Jones, began its journey through the principal streets, attract- 
ing attention wherever it appeared, and preceded and followed 
by the usual throng of the unemployed, forever on the watch 
for the latest excitement. Its progress was a triumph, bringing 
resolution to many who had been balancing between the desire 
to serve their country and indisposition to leave their homes 
and families. The car rolled on to the music of the drums and 
fifes, which grew in intensity at every moment, catching the 
spirit of the recruiting officers, whose appeals could scarcely 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 9 

have been more impassioned if they had been preaching a new 
religion. By nightfall many men had been gathered in, to 
whom the record of the original Bucktails was familiar, and 
who. were proud to decorate their hats with an emblem so 
favorably known in our own army and so highly respected — 
if not feared — by the enemy. 

About a week before the close of August the several com- 
panies were settled in camp near Nicetown, on Logan's farm, 
commonly known as " Stenton," not far from the point at which 
Fifteenth and Cayuga Streets now intersect each other. Lo- 
gan's Run separated their tents from those of Collis's Zouaves 
(114th Pennsylvania), who were awaiting orders to march. 
Prior to this time Captain Jones had quartered and subsisted 
many of his men at Napfle's Hotel, at the corner of Wister 
Street and Germantown Avenue (then " Duy's Lane" and 
" Main Street"), at a considerable expense to himself; while 
Captain Widdis's company remained at their homes, or boarded 
among their friends, with the understanding that if the govern- 
ment eventually commuted their rations for this period, the 
money should go to them. Mention is made of this circum- 
stance because it has an important bearing on an incident 
which occurred later in the history of the regiment, and which 
will be recorded in its proper place. During the brief encamp- 
ment at Nicetown, Sergeant Bringhurst handled the commis- 
sary stores for the entire command, and tradition has it that 
even at this early day, when inexperience might have been 
presumed to guarantee fairness and honesty in such a position, 
methods of deriving profit from soldiers' rations were speedily 
discovered and freely practised. 

Some of the consolidations already referred to were effected 
at this point, and here, too, loud murmurs of dissatisfaction 
arose when marching orders came before the bounty promised 
by the city had been paid. While the withholding of this 
money would probably not have prevented the movement of 



20 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

the command, it was generally recognized that these expres- 
sions of discontent were well founded, and that the pledge of 
the municipal government should be kept. Principally through 
the good ofifices of William Rotch Wister, Esq., sufficient funds 
were raised to cover one-half of the stipulated sum, which was 
distributed among the men, and it was promised that the re- 
maining half should be forthcoming at an early day. Thus all 
unpleasantness was allayed, and much hilarity prevailed at 
Stenton before the tents were abandoned. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 21 



CHAPTER 11. 

TO HARRISBURG — REGIMENTAL ORGANIZATION. 

On Monday, September i, Companies A and B broke camp 
and marched to West Philadelphia, where they took train for 
Harrisburg. Collis's Zouaves had already gone, their departure 
hastened, no doubt, by the condition of affairs before Wash- 
ington, where Pope — more from others' fault, perhaps, than his 
own — had conducted a hopeless campaign. On Tuesday even- 
ing, September 2, about eight o'clock. Companies E and F fol- 
lowed the example of their comrades, and, marching to West 
Philadelphia, started by rail for Harrisburg about half-past 
eleven, arriving there at daylight and rejoining the first two 
companies at Camp Curtin. 

If, in speaking of the command, the four Philadelphia com- 
panies have been designated A, B, E, and F, it is not that the 
designation of any company had, as yet, been absolutely fixed. 
A tacit understanding seems to have existed that Widdis's and 
Jones's companies were to occupy the flanks, and to be A and 
B respectively. As already stated, the regimental organization 
was borne upon the papers of the Adjutant-General's office as 
the 143d. Sufficient evidence of this may still be found in the 
pigeon-holes of the War Department, and, if further proof is 
needed, it is found in a certificate still in the possession of Ser- 
geant William R. Ramsey, which appears to have been written 
in Philadelphia, dated after the company reached Harrisburg, 
and endorsed still later by Colonel Wister. This document 
originally read : 



22 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

" I do certify on honor that William R. Ramsey is a member of Com- 
pany C, 143d Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. 

" H. W. GiMBER, 

" Commanding Company C. 
" Philadelphia, September 3, 1862." 

As it now appears, the " C" is crossed, and the figures " 150" 
are marked over 143. This certificate is another evidence that 
Colonel Wister originally contemplated the formation of a 
purely Philadelphia regiment, whose framework was^duly laid, 
but which failed to reach the fulness and symmetry of a perfect 
structure. It also shows that Captain Gimber's company ex- 
pected to occupy the position of " color" company in the bat- 
talion. Indeed, without any intention of censuring its ambitions, 
it may be remarked that the Quaker City element of the regi- 
ment seems to have been willing to accept whatever places of 
honor or profit were going. Six more companies, however, 
were needed to round out the organization, and until these 
were secured the alphabetical designations necessarily remained 
uncertain. 

About the time of the arrival of the first instalment of the 
Philadelphians there reached Camp Curtin four companies from 
Crawford County, which had been recruited under proper 
authority for the Bucktail Brigade by Captain Henry S. Huide- 
koper, of Meadville, in person, or with his co-operation. Three 
of these were from Meadville, commanded by Captains H. S. 
Huidekoper, John B. Fay, and J. W. H. Reisinger; the fourth 
came from Titusville, commanded by Captain John W. Sigler. 
A fifth company had been raised at Conneautville, in the same 
county, by Captain A. J. Mason, avowedly in Huidekoper's 
interest; but for some unexplained reason it was assigned to 
the 145th Pennsylvania. 

Much less difficulty seems to have been experienced in 
recruiting in Crawford County than in Philadelphia, though 
nearly the same inducements were held out at each end of the 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 23 

State. The machinery for drafting was almost ready to be set 
in motion, and this fact was skilfully used to hasten voluntary 
enlistments. On August 6 this handbill was struck off, and 
within a day or two posted throughout Crawford County: 

"BUCKTAIL BRIGADE. 



©00,000 IVIEirsJ CALLED OUT! 

Drafting commences Aug. 15. 



H. S. HUIDEKOPER 

has been authorized by Gen. Stone to raise 
a Battalion of 

FOUR COMPANIES FOR THE BUCKTAILS. 

All Companies, parts of Companies and Recruits 
reporting immediately 

AT MEADVILLE, 

will be provided for and be sure of a place in the 
Bucktail Brigade. 

Enlist Now and Receive the Bounty of $25, 

one month's pay in advance, and $75 at the end of 
the war, and not wait to be drafted into a poor regi- 
ment and receive no bounty. 

The County will probably give her Men $50 apiece. 



H. S. HUIDEKOPER 

WISHES 100 MEN TO FORM A SELECT 
COMPANY, 



The Battalion will probably receive its arms, etc., 
immediately, and be encamped in Meadville for four 
weeks. All men enlisting in this Battalion will be sure 
of the best care, and can have money at all times trans- 
ferred to their families free of charge. 

MEADVILLE, PA., Aug. 6, 1862. (Journal Print.)" 



24 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

In less than three weeks of actual recruiting time the bat- 
tahon was ready, and on August 27 the following poster 
appeared : 

"BUCKTAILS! 



ALL MEN" WHO HAVE ENLISTED IN" 

HUIDEKOPER & DERICKSON'S CO., 

REISINGER & SHAW'S CO., 

J. B. FAY'S CO., or CAPT. ZEIGLER'S CO., 

MUST BEPORT THEMSELVES AT 
MEADVILLE ON 

MONDAY, SEPT. 1ST, 

TO BE IN READINESS TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY 
FOR HARRISBURG. 

Aug-. 27, 1862." 

They reported, and reached Harrisburg on the 2d of Sep- 
tember. 

With so large a body of men under his control, and with 
influential friends to assist him, Captain Huidekoper might 
properly have asked for, and could easily have obtained, com- 
mand of a regiment, had he been so minded. In fact, he was 
sent for by Adjutant-General Russell and informed by him that 
upon the recommendation of Captain Tarbutton, commander 
of Camp Curtin, he was to have the colonelcy of a regiment 
then forming. This he declined on account of the engage- 
ments which he had entered into with his own men and the 
promises he had made to the parents of many of them. When, 
however, the Adjutant-General offered him the lieutenant- 
colonelcy of a regiment to be commanded by Colonel Wister, 
he at once accepted the proffered position, pleased with the 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 2$ 

prospect of being associated with a superior officer of excellent 
social standing, approved courage, and ample military experi- 
ence. These two gentlemen had never met, nor had any cor- 
respondence passed between them, until they were brought 
together to arrange the details of the regimental organization. 
On the 4th of September these details were completed. Cap- 
tain Henry W. Crotzer's company, from Union County, recruited 
chiefly at Lewisburg and Mifflinburg, and Captain' Horatio 
Bell's, from McKean County, were added to the eight from 
Philadelphia and Crawford, making the total of the command 
about 928. 

Entirely without his knowledge, and with no previous inti- 
mation from any quarter of the probability of such an appoint- 
ment, Captain Thomas Chamberlin, of Company D, 5th Penn- 
sylvania Reserve, was named by Secretary of State Slifer for 
the position of major, and the proposition favorably received 
by the other field-officers. Captain Chamberlin, like Captain 
Wister, had served since the spring of 1861, participating in 
the Peninsular campaign, and was at this time in hospital at 
Baltimore, after a brief sojourn in Libby Prison, recovering 
from a severe wound received at the battle of Charles City 
Cross Roads (otherwise known as " Glendale" and " Eraser's 
Farm"). 

On the afternoon of the day on which the regimental organi- 
zation was effected Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper led the 
command to the arsenal, in Harrisburg, where it received its 
arms and accoutrements. The arms were Enfield rifles, a 
weapon of fair workmanship, and quite superior to the Harper's 
Ferry altered musket, with which so many of the Pennsyl- 
vania troops were originally supplied. It was open, however, 
to some of the same objections, being a muzzle-loader, of too 
limited a range, and unnecessarily heavy. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper receipted for these supplies, 
as he did for all stores of every kind drawn by the regiment, its 



26 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

nominal head being still a captain on recruiting service, from 
which he had not yet been relieved. Among the articles 
received was a stand of colors — the national ensign — of very 
inferior silk, which gave small promise of holding out long, 
even with careful handling. Of State colors there was at that 
time an absolute dearth, and the regiment was not provided 
with one bearing its numerical designation until a month and a 
half later.' 

A choice of several numbers for the command was offered 
to Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper, who selected " 150" (as he 
himself states) because it was a " good round number." The 
old designation, " 143d," under which uniforms and rations had 
been issued to the Philadelphia companies, naturally fell away 
on their arrival at Camp Curtin ; but its use for even so short 
a time was not without troublesome consequences. Another 
143d Regiment was soon in the field, and the confusion arising 
from the mingling of the papers relating to the two commands, 
in the offices of the State and national War Departments, en- 
tailed no small labor on Adjutant Ashhurst, who accomplished 
the task of straightening the record during the autumn. 

Adjutant Ashhurst and Quartermaster Arthur S. Voorhis 
reached Harrisburg close on the heels of the four Philadelphia 
companies, and from that moment knew no rest. Dr. Michael 
O'Hara, a brother of Bishop O'Hara, of Scranton, had not yet 
been mustered as surgeon, but Assistant Surgeon James Fulton 
was present to relieve such pains and aches as fell to the lot of 
the men from the miscellaneous food and indifferent shelter of 
Camp Curtin. Marching orders speedily followed the distri- 
bution of arms, and the command was promptly in motion, 
overjoyed to learn that its destination was Washington. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 2/ 



CHAPTER III. 

CONCERNING THE " BUCKTAIL. BRIGADE." 

Major Stone's plan looked originally to the raising of at 
least four Bucktail regiments for his brigade, but such was the 
pressure for fresh troops at the front, and so limited the time 
allowed him for effecting enlistments, that but two regiments 
were completed— the 149th and 150th— when he was ordered 
to take the field. Nor was all sunshine in his efforts to realize 
his cherished project. With no intention of detracting from 
the good name or fair fame of one of the nation's illustrious 
defenders, it may be stated that Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas L. 
Kane (afterwards brigadier-general and brevet major-general 
of volunteers), whose aim to succeed Colonel Charles J. Biddle 
in the command of the ist Pennsylvania Rifles (" Bucktails") 
had been thwarted by the election of Captain Hugh W. McNeil 
to the colonelcy, in the winter of 1861-62, on hearing of Major 
Stone's movement, bestirred himself to prevent the latter from 
obtaining what he (Kane) had heard, or dreamed, was to be 
an independent command, and also to deprive it of the use 
of the distinguishing badge adopted by his own regiment, 
to which he seemed to think the latter had the exclusive 
right and title. Exactly what representations he made to the 
Secretary of War it would be unprofitable to try to ascertain ; 
but that obstacles were thrown in the major's way can easily 
be inferred from the following telegraphic and written corre- 
spondence : 



28 _ ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

[ Telegram?^ 

"Washington, D.C, August 13, 1862. 
" To General Russell, for Major Roy Stone. 

" Have just seen authorities here and corrected the error induced by 
inquiries and protests of Colonel Kane. If General Russell advises, pub- 
lish Governo}' s authority. Am expecting copy of my letter to General 

Russell. J. H. PULESTON." 

" Head-Quarters Pennsylvania Volunteers. 

"Washington, D.C, August 16, 1862. 
" To Major Roy Stone. 

"Major, — There is no occasion for doubt or misunderstaiiding as to 
the Bucktail Brigade. 

"Authority from the Secretary of War to raise an independent com- 
mand was not solicited, and such authority has not, to my knowledge, 
been claimed. 

"The Secretary gave the assurance that the Bucktail regiments, if 
raised by the authority of the Governor, should be accepted and kept 
together as one brigade. This assurance was based upon the request of 
Adjutant-General Russell, made through me. 

" As there is nothing in General Buckingham's note to conflict with 
either the assurance of the Secretary of War or the authority given you 
by the Governor, there can be no difficulty or misunderstanding about 
the matter, especially as you have also the authority of the Superintendent 
of Recruiting Service in Pennsylvania, to whom you were ordered by 
General McClellan to report. 

" Respectfully, 

"J. H. Puleston, 
" Military Agent of Petmsylvaitia." 

It has been deemed proper and advisable to introduce this 
correspondence to show that difficulties had to be overcome in 
organizing this new command, and to bring into relief the 
intelligence and activity which were displayed in putting two 
regiments on foot — in spite of opposition — in the incredibly 
short period of twenty days. At the beginning of the struggle 
this would scarcely have been worthy of remark ; but the first 
great wave of patriotic emotion had passed, popular enthusiasm 
had greatly abated, and the war was beginning to be an old 



PE NNS YL VA NIA VOL UN TEERS. 



29 



Story. Then, too, a long series of defeats had had a depressing 
influence on the country, and enh'stments are never so spon- 
taneous as in moments of victory. Nor must it be forgotten 
that at the same time a score or more of other regiments were 
being recruited in various parts of the State, drawing their 
supply of men from every village and settlement, however iso- 
lated. All this lends brilliancy to Major Stone's achievement. 

Another object is aimed at in the production of these and 
the letters and despatches previously introduced. Claims having 
been made by surviving members of the ist Pennsylvania Rifles, 
and by a izw persons who belonged to other organizations, that 
the 149th and 150th Regiments were not entitled to the name 
of " Bucktail," it has seemed proper to show : 

First. — That Colonel McNeil, of the ist Pennsylvania Rifles, 
urged the formation of the Bucktail Brigade, and gave the 
project encouragement and assistance. 

Second. — That Major Stone and Captain Wister, who recruited 
and subsequently commanded the two regiments, were original 
" Bucktails." 

Third. — That the brigade was raised as a " Bucktail Brigade" 
by the authority of Governor Curtin, ivitli the approval of the 
Secretary of War, whose express assurance was given that the 
''Bucktail regiments should be kept together,'' and with the en- 
dorsement and co-operation of the United States Superintendoit 
of Recruiting in Pennsylvania. 

If any other evidence were needed of the right of the com- 
mand to the emblem worn by its members, and the appellation 
" Bucktail," it is found in the fact that in all the records of the 
State, in the records and publications of the War Department, 
and in Bates's " History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers," the 
149th and 1 50th are designated as " Bucktail" regiments. Their 
claim is therefore as valid as that of the 1st Rifles, with even an 
added shade of " official" recognition. If there were anything in 
their conduct during the war to be ashamed of, it could easily 



30 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

be understood why their title should be disputed ; but the story 
of their deeds is too clear to bring a blush to the cheek of the 
most exacting patriot, whether civilian or soldier. There was 
mortification enough, and glory enough, for all in those years 
of campaigning ; and while the 150th claims no share in the 
enviable record made for itself by the ist Rifles, and has 
no desire to profit by even a distant reflection of its fame, it 
asks for the undisturbed enjoyment of the name to which State 
and national authority entitles it, and of such honor as accrued 
to it from its own conduct and achievements. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 3 1 



CHAPTER IV. 

ON TO WASHINGTON — IN WASHINGTON. 

On Friday morning, September 5, about seven o'clock, the 
regiment, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Huide- 
koper (Colonel Wister not yet having been relieved of his 
duties as a recruiting officer), took train for Washington, but, 
encountering some delays, did not reach Baltimore until the 
middle of the afternoon. The march through the streets to 
Camden Station was full of interest to the entire command, 
many of whom saw the beautiful city for the first time. In 
passing along Baltimore Street the minds of all reverted to the 
scenes of disorder and bloodshed which marked the passage of 
the first Northern soldiers through Baltimore in 1861. Now 
the tone of the people was strongly loyal, and the regiment on 
its march was greeted with every sign of sympathy and good 
feeling. Substantial citizens joined the column and, accom- 
panying it over the route, expressed their gratification at the 
sight of such a re-enforcement — which they declared looked 
more like a brigade than a regiment — moving towards the 
capital, then felt to be in danger. 

At the Camden Station there was a considerable delay, of 
which the men took advantage to stretch their limbs and par- 
take of a comfortable supper. Late in the night a fresh start 
was made, and the train arrived at Washington about day- 
break. The journey was without important incident, but its 
very slowness, coupled with the loss of sleep, was excessively 
fatiguing, and the regiment was glad of a few hours' repose at 
the "Soldiers' Rest." Here Colonel Huidekoper received 



32 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

orders to report with his command to General Casey, whose 
head-quarters were at the south end of Fourteenth Street, not 
far from the beginning of the Long Bridge. Thither the regi- 
ment marched, only to receive instructions to move out north 
of the city, in the direction of Frederick. Starting about mid- 
day, it proceeded by way of Seventh Street, and, after accom- 
plishing a distance of five or six miles under the pleasurable 
impression that it was about to join the Army of the Potomac, 
its course was arrested by orders to return to the capital. This 
was a great disappointment, for which, however, there was no 
help, and the column dragged its slow length back over the 
road by which it had come, wondering — as inexperienced sol- 
diers will — whether the military authorities of the department 
" knew their own mind." 

The first march of a regiment with its full equipment is 
necessarily a trying one, and the exhaustion of the men of the 
150th, on again reaching the city, led many of them to estimate 
the distance traversed that afternoon at twenty miles or more, 
when in reality it did not exceed twelve or fourteen. Adjutant 
Ashhurst is of the opinion that the command was to halt at 
the "Soldiers' Home," outside of the city; but by a misunder- 
standing it was led back to the " Soldiers' Rest." 

Night had fallen when the latter place was reached, and as 
neither tents nor other means of shelter were at hand, the regi- 
ment bivouacked at will on door-steps, pavements, and open 
lots, wherever a blanket could be spread to advantage or a body 
overwhelmed with fatigue could stretch itself to rest. 

On the following morning, September 6, the regiment was 
placed under the control of General Wadsworth, then Military 
Governor of the District of Columbia, by whose orders it pro- 
ceeded to Meridian Hill and established a camp in a large grove, 
at a point about one-fourth of a mile southwardly from Four- 
teenth Street. West of this grove was a considerable stretch 
of open ground, somewhat broken and irregular in its surface, 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. n 

but fairly well adapted to drilling purposes. Tents were 
promptly supplied for quartering both officers and men. The 
shelter of the trees on warm afternoons was very grateful, and 
the good taste and ingenuity of the members of the several 
companies were soon apparent in the attractions and comforts 
which distinguished the camp. Here Colonel Wister, who had 
been relieved from his mission as a recruiting officer and mus- 
tered on the 5th of September, joined his command and as- 
sumed his proper functions. 

Guard duty at some of the neighboring hospitals at once 
absorbed the services of a large portion of the regiment, several 
companies being detailed at a time. The men who were left in 
camp were industriously exercised in squad, company, and bat- 
talion movements, so that all in turn received much-needed 
instruction. The disintegration of the command, however, 
began before the camp was fairly established. On the 6th 
Companies C and H were ordered to the Soldiers' Home, 
where President Lincoln and his family were then staying, to 
relieve some " regulars" who were on duty there; but, either from 
a misunderstanding of the order or ignorance of the location 
of the Home, they proceeded to the large frame building known 
as the " Soldiers' Rest," near the Baltimore and Ohio Depot. 
The regulars having left the Home, and no troops appearing to 
take their place, an aide was sent to the camp of the 150th to 
see what had become of the promised detail. Companies D 
and K were then promptly started for the Soldiers' Home, 
under proper guidance, and C and H were recalled to camp. 

Companies D and K pitched their tents in a small sloping 
field, or paddock, just outside of the neatly kept grounds of 
the Home, but in view of the buildings. Their especial duty 
was to guard the premises and look after the safety of the 
nation's chief, whose life was even then believed to be more or 
less in danger. Here Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper visited 
them each day, inspecting the guards, instructing the men off 

3 



34 



ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



duty in company evolutions as well as in the manual of arms, 
of which latter he was a complete master, and generally labor- 
ing to promote the discipline and efficiency of both officers and 
privates. 

A few days after taking command of the regiment, Colonel 
Wister received a message from General Wadsworth, asking 
him if he could furnish an active and intelligent young officer 
for temporary duty on his staff. Lieutenant J. Q. Carpenter, 
of Company E, was selected, and, in an interview with the 
general, made a sufficiently favorable impression to be at once 
detailed as an aide. General Wadsworth was at that time the 
Republican candidate for Governor of New York, but, being 
defeated at the polls some weeks later by Horatio Seymour, 
and requesting to be sent to the field, he was relieved from his 
position as Military Governor of the District of Columbia and 
put in command of the First Division of the First Corps, then 
at Belle Plain. General Martindale succeeded him in the mili- 
tary governorship, and, his staff being complete. Lieutenant 
Carpenter rejoined his company. 

On the 1 2th of September Company F was sent to Carroll 
Hill to perform guard duty at Old Capitol Prison, — a service 
which gave it occupation until the 23d of October, when it was 
transferred to Harewood Hospital, where its duties were of a 
more monotonous nature. While at Carroll Hill details were 
made from its ranks from time to time, to escort bodies of rebel 
prisoners to Fortress Monroe, by boat, and sometimes up the 
James River to the vicinity of Richmond, where exchanges 
took place under the supervision of the federal and rebel com- 
missioners. In turn, most of the members of the company 
were accorded " outings" of this kind, which they greatly en- 
joyed, although the excursions were not without occasional 
unpleasant features. 

About the sam.e time that Companies D and K were assigned 
to special duty at the Soldiers' Home, Company C was ordered 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 35 

to the War Department, where its tents were raised on the 
greensward just inside of the iron fence which separated the 
grounds from Pennsylvania Avenue. The remaining companies 
were permitted to linger at Meridian Hill some weeks longer. 

Dr. Michael O'Hara reported for duty about the middle of 
September, having been commissioned as assistant surgeon on 
the 1 2th of that month. He had had experience as assistant 
.surgeon in the United States navy, and had practised medicine 
with success in Philadelphia. Being thus well qualified for his 
position, it was not surprising that he should, within a few 
weeks (November 13), be advanced to the rank of surgeon. 

On the 23d of September, Major Chamberlin was mustered 
and went to camp. At the time of receiving his commission 
in the 150th he was still in hospital at Baltimore, quite lame 
from his Peninsular wound ; but, learning that the Army of the 
Potomac had passed into Maryland to head off Lee's invading 
column, he asked for and obtained his discharge from the hos- 
pital, and, hurrying to Washington, sought the earliest means of 
reaching his old command, the 5th Pennsylvania Reserve. 
Nothing better offered than a seat in the wagon of the regi- 
mental sutler, which he promptly accepted, and after a fatiguing 
ride of an afternoon and night, succeeded in joining the regi- 
ment, then bivouacking near Frederick. Here he was made 
acting major, and being kindly supplied with a horse by Adju- 
tant Mason (subsequently brevet lieutenant-colonel on General 
Meade's staff), was enabled to participate in the battles of South 
Mountain and Antietam. When it became apparent that Lee's 
army had escaped into Virginia, and that no further fighting 
was imminent, he sent in his resignation, to accept promotion, 
and returning by way of Harrisburg to Washington, joined the 
150th. To him was immediately intrusted the care of the 
companies at the Soldiers' Home, and up to the 22d of October 
he visited them each day, inspecting the camp and guards and 
exercising the men in all the more important company and 



36 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

battalion movements. Here he several times witnessed the 
arrival of the President, who, after the onerous duties of the 
day at the White House, was driven to his summer retreat in 
an open carriage, accompanied by an insignificant detail of 
cavalry from " Scott's Nine Hundred" (generally nicknamed 
" Scott's Blind Thousand"). Here, too, he frequently met little 
Thomas Lincoln, vulgarly known as " Tad," who spent much 
of his time in the camp, in which he seemed to have a weighty 
sense of proprietorship. The President also was not an infre- 
quent visitor in the late afternoon hours, and endeared himself 
to his guards by his genial, kindly ways. He was not long in 
placing the officers of the two companies at their ease in his 
presence, and Captains Derickson and Crotzer were shortly on 
a footing of such marked friendship with him that they were 
often summoned to dinner or breakfast at the Presidential 
board. Captain Derickson, in particular, advanced so far in the 
President's confidence and esteem that in Mrs. Lincoln's absence 
he frequently spent the night at his cottage, sleeping in the 
same bed with him, and — it is said — making use of His Excel- 
lency's night-shirts ! Thus began an intimacy which continued 
unbroken until the following spring, when Captain Derickson 
was appointed provost marshal of the Nineteenth Pennsylvania 
District, with head-quarters at Meadville. First Lieutenant 
Thomas Getchell succeeded to the captaincy of the company. 

Of their service at the Soldiers' Home one of the most 
pleasing recollections of Captain Crotzer and his men is of the 
unvarying kindness of Mrs. Lincoln, who arranged, among 
other things, that a midnight luncheon should always be ready 
for the guards on duty, as in turn they were relieved from their 
posts. Nor can they forget their first Sunday in the little camp, 
remote from the stir and noise of Washington, when, having 
been drawn up in line in the bright morning sunshine, their 
captain reminded them that, though removed by their military 
duties from the sweet influences of family and church, they 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 37 

must not disregard the teachings of their youth or unlearn the 
views which they had ever held and practised in reference to 
the sanctity of the Christian Sabbath. Then followed reading 
of the Scripture by the captain, and Private Peter Stahl closed 
the impromptu service by invoking the Divine blessing to rest 
upon the company, upon the armies of the republic, upon the 
government, from its illustrious head to the humblest in public 
station, to the end that peace might be speedily restored and 
the country, reunited, go forward in a career of prosperity. 

A few hours later President Lincoln sent for Captain Crotzer 
and, grasping him warmly by the hand, assured him that he was 
more than gratified to learn of the incident of the morning, 
adding that when he heard of it he said to Mrs. Lincoln that 
" witli a good God and Father above and a praying company of 
men to guard them and their home, they need fear neither men 
nor devils !^' 



38 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER V. 

SOCIAL AND OTHER MATTERS. 

On account of the fragmentary condition of the command, 
the field-officers were by no means overburdened with work, 
and found abundant time — particularly in the evenings — for 
social enjoyment. Each had his circle of acquaintances in the 
city, into which the others were duly introduced ; and many an 
exhilarating gallop from the camp to town, in the twilight, was 
followed by pleasant hours of intercourse with interesting 
people, paving the way, in some instances, to life-long friend- 
ships. Quite a number of visitors of both sexes found their 
way to the camp, to call on one or another of the officers, and 
these were received with uniform courtesy and regaled with the 
best that the limited stores of the mess-chest afforded. " Small 
cheer and great welcome make a merry feast," and some of the 
callers were so well pleased with their entertainment that an 
offer of civilities in return was a natural sequence. Thus invi- 
tations to one or two small evening gatherings were extended 
to the field and staff and promptly accepted. 

Among those who had tasted the hospitality of the camp, and 
desired to reciprocate the attentions there received, was a family 
from the interior of Pennsylvania, which had drifted to Wash- 
ington at or before the beginning of the war, its head having 
through political influence obtained a comfortable clerkship in 
one of the government departments. The husband and father 
was of a type not infrequently encountered, — smallish in stature, 
but of expansive girth at the waist, with a broad, unctuous face, 
and a crown marked by a Sahara of baldness which extended 



PEIsfMSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 39 

from brow to cerebellum, offering unlimited possibilities for 
water-color or other decoration. His eyes were hardly large 
enough for a head of such generous mould, but had a merry 
twinkle about them which lent him an air of good-nature, 
emphasized to a certain extent by a striking expanse of white 
waistcoat and immaculate linen over a liberal area of chest and 
aggressive stomach. His manner was that of one who " knows 
it all," and jokes and stories of a pungent flavor adorned his 
conversation, furnishing at all times visible satisfaction to the 
speaker, if not to the listener. His wife was a spare, delicate- 
looking creature, who in the service and companionship of such 
a master had lost whatever claims she may have had to beauty, 
and in her timid ways bore evidence of her bondage. Two 
daughters, just grown to womanhood, had blessed their union, 
and were attractive enough with the comeliness of youth ; but, 
sharing in the disposition of the father rather than in that of 
the mother, they were self-asserting beyond their years. 

These persons appointed an evening on which they should 
" esteem it an honor to entertain the principal officers of the 
150th, and introduce them to a few friends." The invitation 
was accepted, and at the designated hour those included in the 
summons, in full regimentals, entered an appearance, arriving 
early, as requested. They found the house largely illuminated 
and wearing a festive air, but as the other guests had not yet ar- 
rived, they were first ushered into the " library," whose claim to 
that distinction was apparently founded upon the entire absence 
of books. Here they were cordially received by their host of 
the civil service, who, it was evident at a glance, was in an 
advanced state of exhilaration. The " honor" had proved too 
much for him. After a profusion of compliments, wine and 
more substantial tipple were produced, the old story of the 
general and the field-glass and corkscrew gayly aired, and the 
success of the regiment duly toasted. With many smiles and 
significant winks the host enumerated the various liquors which 



40 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

he had provided for the occasion, and would have insisted on 
having them all " sampled" on the spot had not his guests 
broken away to the " drawing-room," at the suggestion of the 
young ladies, who announced the arrival of the "few friends." 
The head of the house must have indulged in the sampling 
process on his own account, for above the noise of conversation 
his voice could be heard from time to time, growing constantly 
louder in its utterances, indicating a rapidly rising degree of 
intoxication. Nearly an hour had passed when his swaying 
form appeared in the door-way of the drawing-room, where, by 
a series of ludicrous winks, gestures, and grimaces, he en- 
deavored to entice his military friends to the library, to join 
him in his potations. He was put off, however, by the words 
" a little later," and returned to his solitary cups. Presently 
sounds of grumbling came from his direction, suggestive of 
disappointment; then exclamations of impatience, with a sus- 
picion of profanity in them ; and finally everybody was pain- 
fully conscious that the head of the house was hopelessly 
drunk. The young ladies strove bravely to drown the objec- 
tionable noise by lively conversation, and a loosely strung piano 
lent its assistance to the same desirable end ; but the disturbing 
ejaculations continued with greater violence, until embarrass- 
ment was painted on every face and the small talk ceased alto- 
gether. Then the timid wife plucked up courage enough to 
remonstrate firmly, and by arguments whose tenor could only 
be conjectured the boozy member was persuaded that he was 
" out of order," and induced — with necessary support — to go 
to bed. 

For the ladies of the family, as well as for the guests, the 
pleasure of the evening was shipwrecked, and as soon as the 
inevitable " refreshments" had been served the military portion 
of the company pleaded the necessity of an early return to 
camp, and promptly took its leave. 

On the 1 6th of October, Captain B. F. Janney, of Company 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 4 1 

E, resigned from the service, and Lieutenant William S. Pine 
was commissioned captain, of the same date. 

Under the pretence of wishing to enlist in the regiment, but 
really for the purpose of plundering, one of the numerous 
" sharps" who then infested the national capital came to the 
camp and attached himself to one of the companies. Before 
the time for his muster arrived he was detected in some act of 
thievery and promptly dragged to the guard-house for safe- 
keeping. It was decided that he should be drummed out of 
camp, and one pleasant afternoon in October, a little before 
sunset, bareheaded, with his jacket reversed, and decorated in 
front and rear with large placards on which were painted the 
word " Thief," he was escorted by the drum-corps, to the tune 
of the " Rogues' March," through the open ranks of the regi- 
ment, beyond the limits of the grove, with the admonition 
never to show his face in the neighborhood again. The jeers 
and laughter of the men followed him until he was out of sight, 
and the salutary lesson thus taught him by the 150th doubtless 
cured him of any desire to practise his profession further in 
military circles. 

On the afternoon of October 21 several companies of the 
150th marched to the camp of the 149th, where the two 
regiments were drawn up in line to receive the long-delayed 
State colors. Secretary Thomas made the presentation speech 
on behalf of Governor Curtin, which was chiefly remarkable 
for its length, while the replies of Colonels Stone and Wister 
were brief and appropriate. After the presentation of the flags 
three vigorous cheers were given for Governor Curtin, and the 
troops returned to their quarters. 



42 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER VI. 

DETAILS FOR DUTY — BREAKING UP OF THE CAMP. 

On the 22d of October, by order of the provost marshal of 
Washington (Major W. E. Doster, of the 4th Pennsylvania 
Cavalry, subsequently brevet brigadier-general), Major Cham- 
berlin was detached, and appointed to the command of the 
troops in Georgetown, consisting of eight companies of in- 
fantry, drawn from the 135th and 149th Pennsylvania and 
2d District of Columbia Volunteers. His head-quarters were 
at Forrest Hall, at the corner of Gay and High Streets, — a 
large building, the greater portion of which was occupied as a 
depot for deserters arrested in all parts of the country. From 
this point, after due examination and identification, the pris- 
oners were sent from time to time, under guard, to the regi- 
ments to which they belonged. Lieutenant Andrew B. McLain, 
adjutant of the 135th, acted as adjutant of the post. 

During the same month Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper was 
detailed as a member of a court-martial, whose presiding officer 
was Colonel Porter, of the 135th Pennsylvania, and whose ses- 
sions continued during a great part of the winter. 

It was not long until the larger portion of the regiment had 
been detailed, by companies, to permanent guard duty in differ- 
ent parts of the city, necessitating the breaking up of the camp 
on Meridian Hill. Companies E and I were sent to Cliffburne 
Hospital, and later, in turn, to Campbell Hospital and the 
Baltimore and Ohio Depot. While on duty at the depot they 
were encamped on North Capitol Street, near the Government 
Printing-House. Company H served also at Cliffburne Hos- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 43 

pital and at other points. Company A was established at the 
Soldiers' Rest as early as September 26, where it was joined 
by Company D before the President and his family returned to 
the White House for the winter. Company K, which had com- 
mended itself to the Chief Magistrate by the companionableness 
of its captain and the admirable behavior of the men, was, at his 
request, continued as his especial guard. The following note, 
written by him, was of course accepted by the Military Gov- 
ernor and the War Department as possessing all the force of a 

positive order : 

" Executive Mansion, 

"Washington, November i, 1S62. 
"Whom it may concern: 

"Captain Derickson, with his Company, has been for some time 
keeping guard at my residence, now at the Soldiers' Retreat. He and 
his Company are very agreeable to me, and while it is deemed proper 
for any guard to remain, none would be more satisfactory to me than 
Captain D. and his Company. A. Lincoln." 

Bates, in his " History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers," states 
that this note was written in consequence of the wish of the 
field-officers, as well as of some of the members of Company 
. K, to have this company " ordered to the front to rejoin the 
regiment, as the strength and efficiency of the command was, 
in a measure, impaired by its absence," etc. As the regiment 
did not leave Washington for the front until the middle of 
February, 1863, and the note bears the date of November i, 
1862, it will be seen that this statement was an error. Captain 
Derickson's excellent standing with the President sufficiently 
explains this written expression of the latter's feeling. 

When, a few days after the above note was written, the 
President returned to the White House for the winter. Com- 
pany K joined in the " flitting," and pitched its camp on the 
lawn a short distance south-east of the mansion. Here it 
remained during the war. 

Companies B and G continued in camp at Meridian Hill 



44 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

until November lO, when they, together with the field and 
staff, moved to a large vacant lot at Fourteenth and I Streets. 
On the following morning another change of base took place, 
and the tents were put up at the corner of L Street and Ver- 
mont Avenue. It seems that the other lot was immediately in 
front of the home of the Secretary of War, who (as the adju- 
tant surmised) had the bad taste to dislike being aroused by 
reveille at 6.30 a.m. 

The men were sn^igly quartered in the new location, and 
here the formality of guard-mounting was kept up, though the 
daily duty of a large portion of the command lay at one or 
another of the numerous military hospitals. The quarter- 
master established his head-quarters and stores at the new 
camp, and dispensed a generous hospitality to his numerous 
friends. 

On the 1 8th of November, Assistant Surgeon James Fulton 
was transferred to the 143d Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, 
Assistant Surgeon Henry Strauss, who had been mustered on 
the 19th of September, replacing him in the 150th. The 143d 
had arrived on the nth of November, and had been placed 
under General Casey. Colonels Stone and Wister bent their 
efforts to have it brigaded with their commands, under Stone, 
in which they had the hearty co-operation of Colonel Puleston 
and of the officers of the 143d. When, a few months later, 
these regiments took the field, their wish was gratified. 

Colonel Wister and Adjutant Ashhurst, having no mandate 
for special duty, and finding themselves comparatively without 
occupation, wisely determined to make themselves as com- 
fortable as possible, and rented a furnished house on M Street, 
near Twelfth. Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper enlisted also in 
the enterprise and shared the running expenses of the estab- 
lishment. In this modest military home they were joined by 
Mrs. Ashhurst, the adjutant's young and accomplished wife, 
together with her infant daughter. Miss Harriet, who was thus 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 45 

adopted, in a manner, as the " Daughter of the Regiment." 
With a sufficient corps of domestics, Mrs. Ashhurst assumed 
charge of the housekeeping, and presided over her mihtary 
family with such grace and ability that the house became a not 
unimportant social centre, and a delightful rallying-point for 
friends of the field and staff who visited Washington during 
the winter. 

It was here that Colonel Wister gave a reception on New 
Year's Day, 1863, which was largely attended by his military 
friends as well as by many from civil life, and proved an 
immense success. The memory of the eggnog which graced 
the occasion still lingers fragrantly with those of the partici- 
pants who were fortunate enough to survive the perils of the 
war, and, fondly recalling the pleasant conviviality of the even- 
ing, the few remaining officers of the 150th are entitled to 
indulgence if now and then they murmur to themselves, in the 
plaintive language of Hans Breitmann, " Vere is dot barty now ?" 

While thus enjoying the comforts and pleasures of a home, the 
colonel and adjutant were not unmindful of the scattered com- 
mand, but kept themselves thoroughly informed of its condi- 
tion, and so far as possible endeavored to see that proper 
discipline was everywhere maintained. With this end in view 
they visited the several points at which the companies were 
stationed, to inspect the arms, clothing, quarters, and conduct 
of the men, and spur the officers to a careful and conscientious 
discharge of their duties. This was the more necessary on 
account of the many allurements which the capital held out for 
indulgence in idleness and dissipation. 

On one occasion, while visiting the camp of Companies B 
and G, Colonel Wister found Captain Jones, of Company B, 
acting as officer of the day, and accompanied him on a tour of 
the camp-guard to observe the bearing of the men on post and 
ascertain whether they were fully instructed in the ceremonial 
part of their duties. All went satisfactorily until they reached 



46 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

one of the sentinels belonging to Company G, who, seeing the 
officers approach, brought his piece to a shoulder and, facing 
outward, threw his left hand across his breast to the gun-stock, 
the usual salute for a line-officer. 

" Why don't you present arms ?" asked the colonel. " Don't 
you know the proper salute for a field-officer?" 

" I wasn't salutin' you," retorted the man ; " I was salutin' 
' Cap' Jones." 

The colonel's stern look dissolved in a smile which brought 
in evidence his superb teeth, and he moved on without a word 
of censure ; but " Cap" Jones was admonished to use especial 
pains to enlighten the guards on all matters of military 
etiquette. 

Company B was soon after ordered to join F for duty at 
Harewood Hospital, and G being likewise detailed for similar 
service in another part of the city, the 150th as an organized 
body was temporarily in eclipse. 

The scattering of the regiment and the breaking up of the 
camp at Meridian Hill w^ere doubtless beneficial to the health 
of the command, which had suffered frightfully from the 
unwholesome conditions prevailing in that locality. Between 
the height and the city proper, at no great distance from the 
position occupied by the 150th, was a wide belt of vacant 
ground, marshy in places, but at other points sufficiently firm 
to form a dumping-place for refuse of every description from 
the outlying portions of the capital. Various forms of malaria 
speedily developed among the men, its ravages being especially 
noticeable in the country companies, nearly one-third of whose 
numerical strength was presently in the hospitals. One or two 
officers and many soldiers died during the autumn, while many 
others were permanently incapacitated for service. First Lieu- 
tenant Cincinnatus Topham, of Company B, a young officer of 
much promise and greatly esteemed in the regiment, died at 
Washinerton on the 8th of November. Among- the sufferers 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 47 

from the unwholesome surroundings of the camp were Lieu- 
tenants Tryon, Chancellor, and Taylor, of whom the last named 
laid the foundation of permanent ill health, and was compelled 
to retire from the service on the first of February following. 
Even after a change of location, the disastrous effects of their 
few weeks' exposure to the malarial atmosphere of Meridian 
Hill were plainly visible in some of the companies, whose 
dutiable strength was seriously reduced. 

During the latter part of October and beginning of Novem- 
ber the regiment was several times on the point of being sent 
to the field, — once through the efforts of Brigadier- General 
Thomas L. Kane, who coveted the " Bucktail Brigade," and 
once as a part of General Foster's command in Burnside's coast 
expedition. On the 30th of October, Adjutant Ashhurst writes, 
" Colonel Huidekoper saw Colonel Puleston yesterday. The 
colonel told him that a general of Foster's command had ap- 
plied to him that day for assistance in getting new regiments to 
join them at Newbern. He had strongly recommended that 
General Foster should apply for us and the 149th, which he 
(Puleston) thought would be done, and with success. He 
added that he thought about three. weeks would bring us 
orders for North Carolina." 

A day or two later the adjutant wrote, "Kane nearly had 
us. He got the regiments separated, bringing Colonel Wister 
under him and destroying Colonel Stone's hope of a brigade ; 
but, thanks to Colonel Puleston's friendship and energy, and 
to our having a commander-in-chief here who outranked the 
general under whose orders we were to move, we escaped the 
fate impending for us." 

General Kane seems to have succeeded in obtaining an order 
embodying the 150th in his command, but by the active exer- 
tions of Colonel Stone and others in interest the order was 
speedily undone. 

"It was on this occasion, I think," says the adjutant, " that 



48 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

the letter of President Lincoln, requesting the retention of 
Company K as his guard, was written. Many of the regiment 
were so weary of the prolonged inaction, and the wasting of 
its strength at the capital by disease, that they chafed very 
much at the countermanding of these orders." 

Learning that his regiment was under marching orders. 
Major Chamberlin at once asked to be relieved from his im- 
portant post at Georgetown, and returned to his proper com- 
mand, with which he remained from the 2d until the i8th of 
November. He was then instructed to resume his position 
as commandant at Georgetown, relieving Lieutenant-Colonel 
Drew, of the 2d District of Columbia Volunteers. From this 
date until the middle of February, 1863, the peaceful monotony 
of winter-quarters in Washington was undisturbed. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 49 



[CHAPTER VII. 

WASHINGTON IN THE WINTER OF 1862-1863. 

The expression "monotony of winter- quarters in Washing- 
ton," as used at the end of the preceding chapter, is meant to 
convey an idea of the disappointment and restiveness of both 
officers and men at being detained, midway on their march to 
active usefulness and possible glory, to do the work of " parade 
soldiers," and their unmistakable preference for the toils and 
dangers of " the front," rather than to describe the impression 
made upon them by the routine service to which they were as- 
signed, and by their surroundings in the little, great city. Life 
was anything but monotonous there. As the capital of the 
republic, the seat of its legislature and of the national treasure- 
house, — the point to which a majority of the mighty host of vol- 
unteers who rose to sustain the government converged, and to. 
which supplies of immeasurable quantity and almost incalculable 
value were brought to be distributed among the various armed 
bodies in the field ; the centre where plans of campaign were 
projected, discussed, rejected, or adopted; from which orders 
were issued to armies and military departments, and to which 
reports of all offensive and defensive operations were promptly 
sent, — Washington, the " City of Magnificent Distances," with 
its comparatively small fixed population, had, long before the 
end of the second year of hostilities, become the scene of more 
movement, and occupied greater prominence in the eyes of the 
people, than any other place in the land. In addition to the 
distinguished men who were an immediate part of the govern- 
ment, or upheld it in Congress and in the Supreme Court, the 

4 



50 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

governors of great States were frequently seen in its streets, 
coining on friendly summons, or of their own motion, to 
strengthen the hands of the President and offer unstinted aid 
to the cause of the Union. Prominent citizens of every occu- 
pation and profession, from every loyal commonwealth, visited 
the capital to confer with the heads of departments or with 
their representatives in Congress, and offer prudent counsel in 
times of general uneasiness. Distinguished foreigners, and 
many who were not distinguished, were drawn thither to look 
at the war from a safe distance and calculate the chances of the 
success or failure of the side which held their sympathies. 
Adventurers, foreign and domestic, by scores and hundreds, 
found it an attractive field for their peculiar gifts, and haunted 
its hotels and public places in the hope of " striking luck" in 
some shape or manner, they cared not zvliat or Iwiv. Thou- 
sands and tens of thousands of patriotic people, whose sons, or 
brothers, or other relations were with the active forces in Vir- 
ginia, gravitated to Washington at one time or another, moved 
by the desire to see their " heroes," if possible, or get a little 
nearer to them, and witness something of the " pomp and cir- 
cumstance" of actual war. Many were there to comfort their 
own flesh and blood, or minister to their wants, as these lay 
wounded or sick in the numerous hospitals. Tens of thousands 
of others, equally patriotic, — who knows ? — drifted to the capi- 
tal, as they would have drifted to some famous summer resort, 
out of mere curiosity and to see or hear something new. 

At all times the streets of the city presented a pleasing suc- 
cession of kaleidoscopic effects. Now a regiment or two of new 
troops on their way to the front, with full ranks in bright, fresh 
uniforms, marched through some of the principal streets with 
drums beating and colors flying, preceded, followed, and almost 
surrounded by an admiring and noisy crowd of idle negroes 
recently from Dixie, — already known as " contrabands," and 
persuaded that they counted for something in this great na- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 51 

tional upheaval. Now a long train of government wagons 
with canvas tops, drawn by a mixed force of horses and mules, 
and laden with every kind of army supply, moved in creaking 
procession along Pennsylvania Avenue, laboring through ruts 
that were as frequent and almost as dangerous as the crevasses 
of a Swiss glacier. Now a battery of artillery or a squadron 
of cavalry, led by cheery bugle notes, swept over the same 
broad but hopelessly swampy thoroughfare, arresting the 
attention of the thousand saunterers on its sidewalks and call- 
ing the not too busy trades-people to their windows and doors. 
Sometimes, but not often, a brigade or division of veterans 
from the front, with bronzed faces and clothing that told plainly 
of long marches, night-watches, bivouacs, and mud, as their 
tattered flags told of hard-fought battles, marched proudly 
through the city to the music of their bands, gladdened by the 
plaudits which met them at every turn, on their way to new 
fields of activity in the South or West. At all hours, by day 
and night, mounted officers and orderlies, with clanking sabres, 
dashed hither and thither, bearing verbal or written messages 
to or from the War Department, the head-quarters of the mili- 
tary governor, or the numerous fortified posts in and around 
the capital. On the streets, and particularly on Pennsylvania 
Avenue, the national uniform was nearly as frequent as the 
costume of the civilian, and a simultaneous raid throughout its 
length, at any reasonable hour, would doubtless have resulted 
in the bagging of a score of brigadier-generals, an entire com- 
pany of colonels, and a regiment of officers of inferior rank. 
The showy trappings, borrowed from European armies, with 
which a General Blenker or a Colonel d'Utassy paralyzed the 
beholder in the earlier period of the war, were no longer to be 
seen anywhere, having given place to the more modest dress 
prescribed by the " Regulations," then an inexorable foe to the 
pleasing element of variety. 

Washington was not then the grandiose city that it is to-day. 



52 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

With the exception of the Capitol, the Treasury, and a few 
other important structures, there were no buildings which pre- 
sented any particular architectural merits, and most of them 
bore contemptible proportions to the generous plan of the city, 
giving an impression, to the visitor, of a place which had utterly 
failed to grow up to its opportunities. Even the Washington 
Monument, now the most striking memorial shaft in the world, 
helped to deepen this unpleasant impression, having ceased to 
rise at a height of between one and two hundred feet, and look- 
ing more like a ruin than a triumph of the builder's art. Yet 
the town was full of life, full of business and social enterprise, 
with a feverish desire on the part of its permanent and tran- 
sient population to be amused. In spite of the " horrors of 
war," and in the face of depressing reverses to our arms, people 
ate, drank, and were merry. Gautier's and other prominent 
restaurants coined money, and Harvey's steamed-oyster estab- 
lishment with difficulty supplied its clamorous customers. 
Hotel bars and drinking-saloons flourished as they had never 
flourished before. The theatres, such as they were, drew good 
houses, irrespective of the merits of the plays presented by 
their managers. Not that there were not, from time to time, 
good plays and good companies, for the finest stars, both 
theatrical and operatic, visited Washington, as they visited all 
cities which held out the allurement of gain ; but mediocrity 
was the rule, startling talent the exception. At times there 
was an embarrassment in the choice of amusements. Forrest, 
no longer of the athletic frame and thunderous voice which in 
earlier years had so well fitted him for the " pet" characters in 
his repertoire, might be heard heaving his unfathomable sigh 
as Othello, at the " National," while at the " Old Washington" 
one might roar with continuous laughter at the brilliant puns 
of " Pocahontas," spoken by its author, John Brougham, and 
such inimitable associates as Joe Jefferson, Chanfrau, and John 
Sleeper Clarke. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 53 

But the resort /«r excellence of the soldier and transient vis- 
itor was the " Variety Theatre," managed by one Sinn, whose 
name, perhaps, would not have been less appropriate with the 
final " n" omitted. This theatre had the virtue of cheapness, 
and a license in the dress and speech of its "artistes," which 
especially commended it to the pockets and tastes of the men 
who carried the musket. They wanted diversion of a pungent 
flavor; songs which reminded them of home and their own 
youthful escapades and courtships ; jokes of a broadly sugges- 
tive kind, touching (and sometimes passing) the border line of 
propriety; and sharp hits at the sometimes too obvious mis- 
management of our armies. All this they had here, to say 
nothing of the graceful gambols of Julia Mortimer and the 
Pennoyer sisters, in costumes of such scantiness as brought 
into bold relief their shapely limbs and alluring busts. The 
closing song and tableau, in which the " whole strength of the 
company" appeared, were invariably of a patriotic character, 
and emphasized with such a profuse display of the national 
colors, and such vigorous waving of the stars and stripes, that 
nightly the audience broke up in a tempest of enthusiasm. 

Many gambling-houses existed in Washington at that time, 
and to those acquainted with the sport of " fighting the tiger," 
their entrances were easily recognizable after night. Some of 
these dens were luxurious in their appointments, with the 
added attraction of a free lunch of the best that the markets 
afforded, and those who frequented them night after night 
were counted by scores. The sums which changed hands i-n a 
few hours were often large, and many a poor devil of an officer 
who had come to the city on a two days' leave of absence, 
with ample provision of money for his expected needs, found 
himself under the necessity of borrowing from his friends or 
resorting to his " uncle" to meet his hotel bill and legitimate 
expenses, in consequence of an ill-advised visit to one of these 
seductive " midnight banks." 



54 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

In spite of the depressed state of public feeling which fol- 
lowed the abortive attack on Fredericksburg and the mem- 
orable "mud march," social gayety was the rule in Washington ; 
and while expensive balls were not frequent, many an improvised 
dance took place at Willard's and other large hostelries, graced 
by the presence of some of the fairest and most distinguished 
women in the city, with whom the dashing young officers on 
duty in the District were glad of an opportunity of whirling in 
the waltz, or charging over the luxuriously carpeted floors to 
the spirited music of the Lancers. Society regretted the 
gloomy military outlook, but ate and danced and slept as if 
the national sky were all rose color. Society had faith in the 
resources of the government and in the final success of our 
arms. While society reposed serenely after its pleasant fatigues, 
the government never slept. At the White House night was 
often turned into day, and the vigilant eye of the nation's chief 
was upon every movement of the great military game upon 
whose issue the life of the republic depended. In the bureaux 
of the Secretary of War the telegraph never ceased its tick. 
At the Treasury the sturdy form of the old " watch-dog," 
General Spinner, might be seen at his desk at midnight and in 
the small hours before the dawn. Thus, while throughout the 
city the sounds of merry-making went on by night as well as 
by day, there was also to be found, in the proper quarters, that 
" eternal vigilance" which is the " price of liberty." 

But what has this to do with the history of the 150th? 
Only that the 150th saw or knew much of what has been thus 
rudely shadowed, and the memory thereof will be a pleasing 
one to the latest survivor of the regiment to his dying day. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 55 



CHAPTER VIII. 

TO THE FRONT — BELLE PLAIN. 

At last, about the middle of February, came the welcome 
order to join the Army of the Potomac. Shortly before, the 
regimental camp had been fixed on North Capitol Street, a few 
squares north of the Baltimore and Ohio Depot, and here the 
several companies — except K, which remained at the White 
House — were again brought together before the start for the 
front. On the 14th the various details were relieved from 
guard duty, and hurriedly packed and disposed of their surplus 
"belongings," so as to be ready to move at a moment's notice. 
Three days' rations were prepared and distributed the same day. 

On the morning of the 15th the 149th and 150th gathered 
on the banks of the Potomac, and after much delay embarked 
on the steam-transport " Louisiana." The morning was raw 
and gloomy, but both officers and men were in great feather at 
the idea of going to the front, and an incessant fire of jokes 
well reflected their state of feeling. Rain, followed by a light 
snow, had fallen in the night, and the tread of eleven hundred 
pairs of muddy shoes (for that was about the strength of the 
combined regiments) soon covered the decks and cabins with 
a disagreeable coating of slime. A slow but pleasant run of 
six hours brought the boat to Aquia Creek at nightfall, where 
it was announced that the troops would remain on board until 
morning. The " Louisiana" offered rather limited accommo- 
dations for so many men, and with all the authority exercised 
by the non-commissioned officers, aided by an occasional visit 
from the " line," the " high privates" could not be prevented 



56 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

from indulging in such practical joking and such outbursts of 
hilariousness that, even to those who desired and needed rest, 
sleep was practically impossible. 

On the morning of the i6th, after more or less ineffectual 
efforts to remove the evidences of miscellaneous huddling on 
pasty floors, the entire force was transshipped on smaller boats 
and landed at Belle Plain, where it was soon joined by the 
151st Pennsylvania, which had come down on another trans- 
port, nearly a thousand strong. Ranks were presently formed, 
and the 150th filed through the mud and over the hills, past 
Fort Thunderbolt, to a small grove of stunted pines on a hill- 
side about two and a half miles inland. Here the regiment 
halted, stacked arms, and prepared to encamp. The 149th and 
151st, which followed a little later, found positions to their 
liking in groves of larger trees near by. On the same day the 
three regiments were brigaded together, under the command of 
Colonel Roy Stone, of the 149th, forming the Second Brigade 
of the Third Division, First Army Corps. The evening was 
mild and pleasant, and, sitting around their bright camp-fires, 
the men, pleased with their new experience and with the visits 
of old friends who had passed the winter in the field, made the 
woods resound with patriotic songs and cheers, until the inex- 
orable " taps" drove them to their quarters. 

During the night a heavy snow-storm set in, accompanied 
by a fierce wind, and continued with unabated violence all the 
next day and night, covering the ground to the depth of a foot. 
It was a rude welcome to the field. On the morning of the 
17th, in the midst of the storm, nearly one-half of the regiment 
was detailed for picket service on a line some miles distant, and 
for the first time began to realize how much pleasanter, after 
all, was their humdrum duty, with comfortable quarters, in the 
city of Washington. That evening, probably on the recom- 
mendation of competent medical authority, orders were sent 
down through the " proper channels" to distribute a ration of 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 57 

whiskey to the men, — an article previously unnamed in the 
scanty list of gratuitous luxuries from time to time supplied by 
the commissary department. So far as the men in camp were 
concerned, it was an easy thing to make the distribution ; but 
with night descending, a foot of snow on the ground, oblit- 
erating all roads and paths, the snow still falling, and no guide 
to the picket line, how was the cheering beverage to be par- 
celled out to those walking their lonely beats on the banks of 
the Rappahannock, or across the broad acres of the rebel Sec- 
retary of War, Seddon, whither the line stretched in its 
irregular windings ? The determination and genius of the 
regimental quartermaster, Voorhis, were equal to the emer- 
gency. Summoning to his assistance one or two of the most 
faithful of his non-commissioned staff, and accepting Lieutenant 
Beckwith, of G Company, as a volunteer aide, the whiskey was 
transferred to canteens and these divided among the party, who, 
equipped as for arctic explorations, and mounted upon the 
choicest animals at the quartermaster's disposal, set out in the 
darkness on their mission of mercy. Lieutenant Beckwith was 
naturally the leader of the expedition. Long experience in 
the mountains and lumber-camps of Pennsylvania had famil- 
iarized him with the work of following trails, and, but for the 
wind and blinding storm, he would probably have led his little 
band with unerring directness to its destination. Here his 
woodcraft was comparatively unavailing. Roads and by-paths 
were utterly erased by the masses of drifting snow, and not a 
landmark was known to any of the party to aid them in follow- 
ing a fixed direction. As a consequence, they strayed, — strayed 
widely, — and only after hours of toilsome wandering, during 
which it became necessary to draw on their supplies for bodily 
warmth and spiritual encouragement, were they successful in 
stumbling on one of the sentinels and obtaining information 
which enabled them to reach the reserve. Here they were 
welcomed with becoming warmth, especially when the object 



58 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

of their visit became known, and rumor runs that, either from 
sudden joy at the discovery of their comrades or excessive 
thankfulness at their escape from unseen dangers, one or two 
of the gallant little band were quite " too full for utterance." 

The portion of the command which had been left in camp 
was not idle, even during the storm, but busied itself with the 
axe among the young pines, preparing material for permanent 
housekeeping. The pickets, who returned after a tour of duty 
lasting two days, at once joined in this important work, and 
before many days had gone by the entire regiment was snugly 
settled in huts that defied the winter weather. 

In the absence of Colonel Stone, Colonel Wister assumed 
command of the brigade on the 17th, by order of General 
Doubleday, Adjutant Ashhurst performing the duties of acting 
assistant adjutant-general. Lieutenant Charles P. Keyser re- 
placed the latter as acting adjutant. A plentiful crop of orders 
began to appear, and the officers who handled the pen at 
brigade and regimental head-quarters had no sinecure. 

On the 19th of February the 143d Pennsylvania, Colonel E. 
L. Dana, of Wilkesbarre, commanding, arrived from Washing- 
ton and replaced the 151st, which was transferred to the First 
Brigade. The 135th Pennsylvania, Colonel Porter, had also 
been added to the same brigade, which then consisted of four 
regiments, including, in addition to the two already named, the 
12 1st Pennsylvania, Colonel Chapman Biddle, and the I42d 
Pennsylvania, Colonel Robert P. Cummins. The division, 
which was commanded by Major-General Abner Doubleday, 
contained at that time but two brigades, — seven regiments in 
all, and all Pennsylvanians. 

Colonel Stone arrived on the 19th and took command of the 
Second Brigade, relieving Colonel Wister. At his urgent in- 
stance, Major Chamberlin consented to act as assistant adjutant- 
general until everything should be in good working order, and 
occupied the position for the next two or three weeks. The 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 59 

colonel had been married quite recently, and his wife came to 
share his quarters as soon as they were established. Between 
the issuing of orders to his brigade and his attentions to his 
estimable spouse, Colonel Stone was one of the busiest and 
happiest officers in the Army of the Potomac. 

As soon as the camp was in thoroughly good condition and 
the snow had disappeared from the ground, as it did in less 
than a week, the drills of the 150th became almost incessant. 
The mornings were usually devoted to company exercises, su- 
perintended by one of the field-officers. These were followed 
by skirmish movements, in which several companies partici- 
pated, every movement being regulated first by verbal command 
and then by the corresponding bugle notes, until the men were 
sufficiently familiar with the latter to dispense with oral orders. 
A portion of the afternoon was occupied with regimental 
drill, in which the utmost possible precision was aimed at in 
executing each order, whether in the manual of arms or in the 
active field manoeuvres. As a consequence, the progress of 
the regiment was rapid, and its discipline was soon in marked 
contrast with that of some of the older conmiands. Of the 
old troops in the neighborhood, it was painfully evident that 
many had lost spirit, and that the enthusiasm of the entire 
army had been seriously tempered by the total failure of the 
operations under General Burnside. The appointment of Gen- 
eral Plooker to succeed him did something to correct this 
depression, but for several weeks the weather was such that 
the men were compelled to remain in idleness in their camps, 
and the influence of the new commander could not be felt. 
Regimental officers seemed to share in the moral fatigue which 
followed Fredericksburg and the mud march, and, when days of 
sunshine occurred and the ground was sufficiently firm for drill- 
ing, were slow to take advantage of the opportunity to exercise 
and improve their commands. Colonel Stone's brigade was not 
permitted to lapse into this condition of demoralizing repose, and 



6o ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

from the moment of its arrival at Belle Plain might reasonably 
have complained of too much hard work and too few holidays. 
The good effects of this constant activity were speedily apparent 
to the rank and file, and their daily duties were performed with 
such cheerfulness and zeal that their example seemed to grow 
contagious. In adjacent camps the sound of drum and bugle 
began to be heard at unwonted hours. The lethargy which 
had fettered them gradually yielded to a spirit of emulation, 
and drills became the order of the day on every hand. 

It must not be inferred from what has been hinted of an 
obvious loss of enthusiasm on the part of many of the old 
troops that they were wanting in patriotic impulse, or at all 
mutinous in their disposition, or sceptical as to the final out- 
come of the conflict, or that their courage was in the slightest 
degree attainted. Their condition was the natural result of a 
rebound from too great tension of mind and body in a cam- 
paign which had taxed their utmost powers and ended in 
disaster. They were exhausted and dazed. Under other cir- 
cumstances their recovery would have been rapid, if not im- 
mediate. A few days of rest and then a resumption of the 
usual company, battalion, and brigade exercises in the open 
field, under a clear sky, would have effected a perfect cure. 
But circumstances were unfavorable. Long-continued rains 
and alternate freezings and thawings had converted the camp- 
ing-ground of the army into a vast mud-hole, which thwarted 
the plans and intentions of its commanders and doomed the 
men to almost absolute inaction. The roads over which the 
supplies for this immense force had to be hauled were like 
mortar-beds, of such depth and consistency, in places, that 
both wagons and teams were in danger of being swallowed up ; 
and, indeed, many a poor mule, bearing on his flanks the ini- 
tials of his country, sank in the red ooze never to rise again. 
But for the corduroying, which had been extensively resorted 
to on the principal highways, the work of feeding such an army 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 6 1 

would have presented almost insuperable difficulties. As it 
was, the problem of properly provisioning the several corps 
rested like a nightmare on the minds of both officers and men 
of the subsistence department, driving them at times to the 
very verge of lunacy. A propos of the roads, Adjutant Ash- 
hurst says, " The principal avenue of communication between 
the various divisions, and with army head-quarters, was a cor- 
duroy road, built in a long, deep gully or watercourse, which 
was aptly nicknamed the ' Valley of the Shadow of Death.' 
It was probably the worst corduroy ever known. Its sides 
were strewn with the skeletons of dead horses and mules, and 
so rotten were many of its logs, and so full was it of holes, that 
the rider who ventured to traverse it involuntarily breathed a 
prayer that his own and the bones of his steed might not be 
added to those which already garnished it. But such as it was, 
until the sun began to dry the hill-sides and valleys, this dreary 
route was the best and almost the only practicable highway 
connecting the flanks of the army." 

This was the condition of things at the time of the arrival 
of the 150th, whose members were therefore not surprised, 
while picking their way to their proposed camp, to be accosted 
by some of the weather-stained veterans with such remarks as, 
" No more Sunday soldiering, boys." " You'll soon get enough 
of it." " Wait till you've had a mud march or two !" 

A few bright, clear days in the latter part of February, and 
long spells of sunny weather in March, worked a marvellous 
change. With them came the dry ground and the general 
activity which proved to be the medicine needed by the troops 
to stimulate their relaxed energies and restore to their former 
healthy and aggressive tone their jaded spirits. The mind and 
hand of the new chief began to reach out to every portion of 
his command, repairing and reshaping the great military ma- 
chine intrusted to his care, on which the hopes of the country 
so largely centred. All went well. 



62 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER IX. 

VARIOUS HAPPENINGS IN AND OUT OF CAMP. 

Among the officers detailed to serve upon the staff of General 
Doubleday, commanding the division, was Second Lieutenant 
John Huidekoper, of Company E, 150th Pennsylvania Volun- 
teers, who was made acting topographical officer, — a position 
for which his foreign education (he was born and reared in 
Holland), as well as his subsequent experience as a civil en- 
gineer, well fitted him. He had been a sergeant in Company 
E, 5th Pennsylvania Reserve, but was discharged in October, 
1862, to accept promotion in the 150th, his muster in the 
latter regiment dating October 31. In his own command and 
also at division head-quarters he was familiarly known as 
" Shacks," the designation arising from his imperfect pronun- 
ciation of his own nickname, " Jack," which his Dutch tongue 
was unable to handle correctly. 

In his new capacity Lieutenant Huidekoper made careful 
surveys of the roads and principal outlines of the country lying 
between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers, in the neigh- 
borhood of the camps of the First Corps; but his observations 
frequently extended many miles beyond the lines occupied or 
picketed by the troops. On one occasion, when he had gone 
an unusual distance from his base, he was approached by a 
couple of mounted field-officers of another division, who had 
been reconnoitring on their own account, and who found him 
sitting on his horse, leisurely transferring to paper the salient 
features of the district around him. As they rode up, one of 
them exclaimed, " Good God ! Huidekoper, is that you ? We're 
awfully glad to see you, for we're completely lost." 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 63 

" Shesus Grist!" replied " Shacks," without so much as h'fting 
his pencil from the paper, "so am I!" 

Hurriedly finishing his sketch, however, and carefully taking 
his bearings, he piloted his friends safely back to camp. 

In a letter written February 23 the adjutant states that he is 
having a hut built for an office, Sergeant Clark Wells, of Com- 
pany G, having charge of its construction. He adds, " Colonel 
Stone has been pouring in orders faster and faster." 

On the 24th he writes, " This afternoon the log hut is finished, 
and is a very fine thing. Old Wells has outdone himself. The 
fierce flow of orders is drying up, I think, but it may be only a 
temporary lull. . . , The tendency of the sickness of the men 
is to enteritis, but the sick-list is very small, — only twenty in the 
regiment. To be sure, we got rid of our worst cases in Wash- 
ington, but we started to bring good out of evil when we 
availed ourselves of the detail made on us of forty men for 
various duties, to send off the lame, halt, blind, the drunken, 
the very aged, the deaf, the incurably lazy and wholly worth- 
less ; so that, except when they detailed the men by name, — 
which they did in about six or seven cases, when, of course, 
they took the very best, — our superiors did not make much out 
of us." 

In a letter dated March 7 the adjutant states, "We have a 
good deal of sickness, but not so much as other regiments 
around here, and our total per cent, for duty, with nine com- 
panies, is almost as large as that of the 149th with ten com- 
panies. We have two cases of small-pox, — one, I am soiry to 
say, the handsome Corporal Mudge [Henry A. Mudge, of 
Company I, subsequently sergeant, killed at Gettysburg, July 
I, 1863] who used to bring our letters. ... I have a new clerk 
now, — Elvidge, of Company A, — a nice boy, who writes fast 
and pretty well, and is very handsome, which first attracted my 
attention to him." 

During the winter of 1862-1863 the Democratic press of the 



64 ONE HUNDRED AND EIFTIETH 

North was especially active in its efforts to hinder the adminis- 
tration in a determined prosecution of the war, and to create 
dissatisfaction not only at home but in the field. Its utterances 
found but a feeble echo in the army, which, to its everlasting 
glory, was firm in the belief that tlie rebellion could be sup- 
pressed and in its purpose to stippress it. In the 150th the 
feeling of resentment towards the " enemy in the rear" grew in 
bitterness each day, until it could no longer be contained. On 
the 8th of March, at the urgent instance of the company com- 
manders. Adjutant Ashhurst prepared a paper, which was 
signed by every field-, staff-, and line-officer present with the 
regiment, requesting Colonel Wister to call a meeting of the 
command for the purpose of giving expression to its senti- 
ments. The meeting took place, and what was said and done 
is thus related by the Washington Clironicle : 

"another rebuke. 

" Camp near Belle Plain, March 12, 1863. 

"A meeting of the officers and soldiers of the 150th Regiment Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers was held at the regimental head-quarters on the 
eleventh day of March, 1863, in pursuance of the following call, signed 
by all the officers of the regiment : 

"'The undersigned, officers of the 150th Regiment Pennsylvania Vol- 
unteers, respectfully request Colonel Wister, commanding the regiment, 
to call a meeting for the purpose of expressing our earnest loyalty and 
devotion to our country, and our detestation of the Northern traitors now 
endeavoring to paralyze the efforts of the army in the field, and insid- 
iously to overthrow their country's cause.' 

" Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper was called to the chair, and Adjutant 
R. L. Ashhurst appointed secretary. 

" The object of the meeting having been stated by Major Chamberlin, 
after appropriate and patriotic remarks by Colonel Wister, Adjutant Ash- 
hurst, Lieutenant Huidekoper, Private Philip Hammer, Company A, 
Lieutenant William P. Dougal, Company D, and Quartermaster A. S. 
Voorhis, the following preamble and resolutions, offered by Major Cham- 
berlin, were unanimously adopted amid great enthusiasm : 

" ' Whereas, After nearly two years of the most patriotic sacrifices on 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 65 

the part of our people and the most desperate trials and struggles on the 
part of our army to restore our shattered Union and maintain our national 
honor, our government finds itself assailed by a class of persons at home 
who would yield it, Judas-like, into the hands of the enemy, or sully it by 
a dishonorable compromise with the hosts of treason, and who are even 
now trying to induce the masses to resist its lawful authority in order the 
sooner to gain their hellish ends ; therefore, 

" ' Resolved, That we hereby express our firm and unalterable devotion 
to our government and its laws, and declare our determination to stand 
by it at all hazards, pledging to the restoration of its entire authority " our 
lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." 

" ' Resolved, That we look upon all proposals, from whatever source, to 
give up this struggle on any other terms than the unconditional submission 
of the traitors in arms against their country as disgraceful to those who 
originate and to those who for a moment lend an ear to them. 

" ' Resolved, That we condemn and repudiate as unworthy sons of their 
country those who, staying at home in the North, are striving to cripple 
the hands of their country's defenders ; who, under the garb of a false 
patriotism and an assumed zeal for the Constitution, cavil at all measures 
calculated to prostrate the rebellion ; and who endeavor to hold back and 
paralyze the strong arm of right, now outstretched to crush the foul treason 
which attacks the life of the nation. 

'"Resolved, That we have no sympathy or feeling in common with 
those who, from real or pretended admiration of any man or general, 
would make their earnestness in their country's cause, or perhaps their 
loyalty, dependent on, or subordinate to, their personal feelings ; that we 
are ready and anxious to fight for our country under whatever commander 
we may be placed, and under none with greater alacrity than our present 
commander-in-chief. 

''' Resolved, That as we believe that "fighting for Southern rights'' 
means nothing more than warring for the extension of slavery, which we 
regard alike as a curse to the land and a great moral wrong, we hail with 
joy the President's proclamation doing away with that institution in every 
State in which rebellion exists, and hope soon to see it forever blotted 
from our soil. 

" ' Resolved, That our feeling towards traitors, both North and South, is 
one of implacable hatred, and that, while this army has bullets for those 
at the South, it has also heels broad enough and heavy enough to crush 
the vile "copperheads" of the North if they persist in their insidious at- 
tempts to weaken and overthrow the government.' 

" Major Chamberlin ; Captain Widdis, Company A ; Captain Reisinger, 

5 



66 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Company H ; Quartermaster Voorhis, and Adjutant Ashhurst were ap- 
pointed a committee for the publication of these resolutions. 
" On motion, adjourned. 

" H. S. HUIDEKOPER, 

" Lie7itenant- Colotiel i^oth Regiment P. V., Chairfiian. 
" R. L. Ashhurst, 

" AdjutaJit ijoth Regiment P. V., Secretary." 

The same report of the proceedings of. the meeting was 
published in the Philadelphia Press and the Neiv York Tribune. 
In the preparation of the series of resolutions, Major Cham- 
berlin and Adjutant Ashhurst collaborated. The gathering 
took place a little before sunset, on the brow of the hill on 
whose side the company quarters were located, and presented 
a noteworthy picture, officers and men mingling like so many 
citizens at a political rally at hoine. Here, however, there was 
no division of opinion. Those who had been known as Demo- 
crats before entering the service were now emphatic in their 
denunciation of the attitude of their old party. The meeting 
broke up in the twilight with cheers for the Union, the Presi- 
dent, the army, — for everything loyal, — and the effect was good 
and lasting. 

On the same evening, attracted possibly by the cheers from 
the camp. Captain O'Rourke, of the ist Regiment Pennsyl- 
vania Reserve, came to visit his old friend, the major, and over 
a glass of the mellowest " commissary" rehearsed, in language 
full of color, the story of Burnside's disastrous attack on the 
heights of Fredericksburg. A short time before that event the 
ambulance service in the army, which had been indifferently 
managed under the direction of the medical department, was 
thoroughly reorganized, with a view to its greater efficiency. 
The captain was detailed to take charge of the ambulances of 
the First Corps, and in that capacity rendered such important 
service during the progress of the battle as to receive the 
warmest commendations from corps, division, and brigade com- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 6/ 

manders. After relating at much length the part which he had 
had in the fight, the captain wound up by saying, " When they 
first proposed to me the command of the Ambulance Corps, I 
thought it an infayrior and maynial position ; but I found it a 
place for great achayvements and high considerations !" With 
his rich Irish brogue and earnest manner (stimulated, perhaps, 
by the contents of his glass), this peroration was inimitable. 

As the camp of the regiment lay upon the side of a hill with 
a pretty sharp slope, it had the advantage of quick drainage in 
wet weather, and never became uncomfortably boggy. The 
health of the command was generally good. During the 
month of March a few cases of varioloid developed among the 
men, but those attacked were speedily removed to a field hos- 
pital at a safe distance, and the disease was readily checked. 
Measles also appeared in one or two companies, but by the 
prompt action of the medical department this scourge was also 
prevented from spreading. Among those who were treated for 
this latter complaint was Lewis, the colored cook at regimental 
head-quarters, who continued to perform his duties as cook and 
waiter until his face bore unmistakable evidence of the nature 
of his ailment. Singularly enough, every member of the head- 
quarters mess was spared. Surgeon O'Hara and Assistant Sur- 
geon Henry Strauss easily looked after all the cases of sickness 
in the camp, and for the most part the several companies pre- 
sented themselves with fairly full ranks for the purposes of 
drill, review, and inspection. 

On the 17th of March the adjutant writes, " We lost another 
man last night, — Sergeant Tanner, of Company E, a very fine 
fellow. He came down here when he ought to have gone to 
the general hospital. We applied for a furlough for him a few 
days since, the exposure here having utterly prostrated him, 
but it came back approved too late. He had only an hour or 
two to live, poor fellow! We got it last night about 9.30; he 
died early this morning." 



68 OSE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

On the 19th of March the field and staff were completely 
upset by the receipt of the following announcement, close on 
whose heels came the order giving effect to the President's 
decree : 

"The President directs that Captains Widdis and Jones, 150th Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers, be dismissed the service, and all back pay be stopped, 
for drawing pay on false and fraudulent accounts. 

" L. Thomas, 
" Adjutant- General^ 

The captains named were highly prized for their intelligence 
and efficiency, and the regiment could ill afford to lose them. 
Coming without a previous note of warning, this cruel order 
fell with the severity of a trip-hammer blow, for the moment 
almost stunning the few who had knowledge of it. 

Allusion has already been made to the fact that while re- 
cruiting his company at Germantown, Captain Jones subsisted 
a large number of his men at Napfle's Hotel for several days, 
incurring a bill of some proportions. Captain Widdis's men 
found board and lodging at home or among their friends in 
Germantown, with the understanding that if commutation for 
their rations could be obtained from the government they were 
to be reimbursed for their outlays. Both captains filed a claim 
in due form for this subsistence, to which in equity they were 
clearly entitled. It appears, however, as has been previously 
intimated, that, without their knowledge, Quartermaster-Ser- 
geant Bringhurst, or some other person, had drawn the rations 
of the two companies (or the commutation therefor) and diverted 
the same to his own use, charging them in due form to Jones's 
and Widdis's commands. No other explanation of the matter 
seems possible, as all the officers' pay-rolls passed through 
regimental head-quarters and were found correct ; and neither 
Captains Widdis and Jones nor any other captain had " drawn 
pay on false and fraudulent accounts." Quartermaster-Ser- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 69 

geant Bringhurst deserted in January, 1863, and this fact gives 
strength to the belief that he was at the bottom of the trouble. 
Of course the War Department, on receipt of the statement of 
the quartermaster (Ruff) at Philadelphia, showing that the sup- 
plies had been duly issued, without inquiring into the details 
of the affair, jumped to the conclusion that the two officers 
were endeavoring to defraud the government, and the order for 
their dismissal followed. 

Fortifying themselves promptly with letters and certificates 
from their superior officers, bearing on the facts of the case 
and attesting their integrity and soldierly worth, Captains 
Widdis and Jones hastened to Washington, accompanied by 
the good wishes of their many friends, and in a few days, with 
the assistance of Philadelphia Representatives in Congress and 
other influential persons, succeeded in obtaining an interview 
with President Lincoln, who, after a full hearing of their side 
of the case, issued an order for their reinstatement. Quarter- 
master Voorhis, who went to Washington in their behalf, 
proved a valuable re-enforcement, seconding their efforts with 
great intelligence and ability. 

On the 1st of April they returned to camp, where their ap- 
pearance was the occasion of much rejoicing. It is needless 
to add that not a dollar of their claim was ever recovered from 
the government. 

Concerning the arbitrary dismissal of the two captains. Ad- 
jutant Ashhurst wrote, on the 21st of March, "I drew up a 
communication from the colonel to the adjutant-general, setting 
forth their good qualities and earnestly appealing for a trial for 
them. Colonel Stone approved it in a very handsome endorse- 
ment. General Doubleday approved and forwarded it, and we 
left it with Lieutenant- Colonel Kingsbury, who promised that 
General Reynolds should endorse it up. The staff-officers at 
head-quarters all expressed great sympathy and indignation at 
the dismissal." 



yo ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

On the 25th he wrote, " Colonel Wister and I have been out 
to visit the picket line. We had a delightful ride. The weather 
is thoroughly spring-like, alternately cloudy and sunshiny. 
Doubleday wanted a piece of woods cut off that projected 
over on our picket line, furnishing a fine cover for an attack. 
I went out to give instructions to have it cut away. I have a 
conversation of about ten minutes with the general every morn- 
ing, when I receive a vast deal of information as to the art of 
war. The general is a fine theorist. He is said to be slow in 
the field, and perhaps he may be, but he has many fine quali- 
ties, is very careful of his men, very painstaking, and is evi- 
dently zealous in the cause. He is a very urbane, courteous 
gentleman also. 

" A large quantity of baggage from our regiment has been 
packed and loaded to-day, to go to Washington." 

Second Lieutenant George de V. Selden, of Company H, 
having been appointed to the same grade in the 2d United 
States Cavalry on the 31st of March, at once tendered his res- 
ignation as an officer of the 150th, and being notified of its 
acceptance early in April, left for his new command.* 

On the 8th of April, Surgeon O'Hara resigned and returned 
to his practice in Philadelphia, leaving the health of the regi- 
ment to be cared for by the two assistant surgeons, Strauss and 
Henderson. The latter, who had been assigned to the 150th 
on the 29th of January, was himself in indifferent physical 
condition, and saw little service with the command. He was 
discharged on the 30th of June following, on certificate of 
disability. 

During the month of April the First Corps — indeed, a large 
portion of the army — was abundantly supplied with fresh fish. 



* Lieutenant Selden was a very gentlemanly young officer, — bright, 
alert, and well fitted for his position. He died September 17, 1863, of 
wounds received at Gettysburg. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. /I 

chiefly shad, rock, and herring, of admirable size and quality, 
from the government fisheries at Aquia Creek. These were a 
welcome 'addition to the ordinary rations, and doubtless con- 
tributed greatly to the health of the troops. Although not 
furnished gratuitously, the price was put so low as to be easily 
within the reach of the enlisted men, who, when off duty, could 
be seen at almost any hour, singly or in groups, lugging the 
precious food towards camp. 

Spring was now fairly on the way, and a succession of in- 
spections and reviews of the different corps announced that the 
time for breaking up winter-quarters was approaching. The 
First Corps, then one of the strongest in the army, was paraded 
with much pomp and glitter on the beautiful ground of Belle 
Plain, — which almost seemed to have been created for the pur- 
pose, — under the scrutinizing glance of the President and a 
brilliant retinue of officers, who could not but be favorably 
impressed with the appearance and marching of the troops. 
Certainly the latter never looked better, or stepped to the 
music of the bands with a more perfect alignment or more im- 
posing front. The return route was marked by a snow-fall of 
paper collars, which, having served their purpose, were dis- 
carded at the earliest moment. The white gloves with which 
some of the regiments were provided were carefully preserved 
for future use. 

After this review, which was held the 9th of April, nothing 
occurred to disturb the peaceful but busy routine of the 150th 
until the 20th of that month. 



72 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER X. 

night march to port conway artillery engagement at 

pollock's mills. 

On the morning of April 20 the several regiments of Double- 
day's division were instructed to provide themselves with three 
days* cooked rations and be in readiness to move in light 
marching order at a moment's notice. The word was received 
by the 150th with great enthusiasm, for, although the direction 
and destination of the movement were unknown, the men were 
eager to engage in serious work. 

The column started late in the afternoon, taking a south- 
easterly course across the fields for some miles, when it struck 
a road leading through King George's Court-House, and fol- 
lowed it. Night presently came on, and with it a heavy and 
persistent rain, soaking the troops to the skin and turning the 
old Virginia highway into the semblance of a hog-wallow, 
through which they floundered with difficulty in the darkness. 
For a long distance the route lay in the woods, and the road 
being overflowed by one or two swollen brooks which crossed 
it, the column splashed through water knee-deep, making 
humorous demands for " gun-boats" with which to continue 
the journey. Frequently a burst of laughter, accompanied by 
cries of " Brace up !" told of disaster to some unwary plodder 
whose foot had turned on a slippery stone, or who had been 
tripped by a submerged root, dooming him to an unwelcome 
bath. The men marched cheerfully and well, but in the intense 
darkness and under such trying conditions it was impossible to 
maintain the regulation " distance." The column naturally 



PEA NS YL VAN/A VOL UNTEERS. 7 3 

Strung out to an undue length, necessitating frequent halts to 
enable it to close up. About ten o'clock the head of the regi- 
ment overtook the 121st Pennsylvania, or the larger part of it, 
under Major Biddle, who said the road was impassable ; but the 
150th pushed ahead and got through. Between two and three 
A.M, the march was arrested, a few fires were built with much 
effort, and officers and men stretched themselves in the dryest 
places that could be found for a little sleep. When morning 
dawned all presented a woe-begone appearance. Clothing, 
arms, and accoutrements alike gave evidence of a fatiguing 
struggle with the pasty soil of the " Old Dominion," and an 
inspecting officer would have torn his hair from sheer mortifica- 
tion at the spectacle. 

Some idea of the intense darkness which prevailed on this 
march can be formed from the statement of the adjutant that 
on reaching one stream, swollen by the rain to a roaring tor- 
rent, he found the rear battalion of the regiment, under com- 
mand of the lieutenant-colonel, apparently lost and hopeless 
on the bank, without light or the means of procuring it, having 
become separated from the van, which had gone on across the 
raging flood under the leadership of the colonel. Probably 
half an hour was consumed before, by the united efforts of 
officers and men, a light was obtained sufficient to show how 
the stream might be forded. During the night the rain turned 
into snow, which probably made the almost fireless bivouac a 
little more endurable, besides generously casting its mantle 
over the bedraggled state of the command in the morning. 

After an hour or two spent in repairing damages and prepar- 
ing the much-needed coffee (the meat rations had been cooked 
before leaving camp), ranks were formed and the brigade 
continued its march about five miles farther, stopping at a 
point about half a mile from Port Conway. It was then nearly 
ten o'clock, and the pontoon train had not yet arrived. After 
some delay it appeared and moved down to the river, almost 



74 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

immediately opposite the village of Port Royal, where the men 
who accompanied it, aided by a liberal detail of pioneers, began 
stretching the canvas over the frames in preparation for a cross- 
ing. For this latter mission the 150th had been selected by 
Colonel Stone, and quietly awaited the summons to man the 
boats, first moving down into the fields and taking position 
behind a church. Captains Widdis and Jones with their com- 
panies, under Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper, were to cross 
above the town, and the rest of the regiment to effect a passage 
below at the same time. Eight companies of sharp-shooters 
from the 143d and 149th were to line the banks and cover the 
crossing with an active fire, if necessary. 

On the southern bank of the stream, for a considerable dis- 
tance above and below Port Royal, rifle-pits had long been 
constructed by the enemy, and here and there a "butternut" 
could be seen behind the earthen breastwork, his form with 
difficulty distinguishable on account of the color of his uni- 
form. In the main street of the village, in front of an hotel, a 
small group of rebel soldiers was gathered, calmly surveying 
the movements of the Union forces with the aid of a field-glass. 
They seemed quite unconcerned, and in all probability, seeing 
no artillery to cover an intended crossing, quickly inferred that 
the expedition was a feint. Back on the hills, however, behind 
the village, a signal-flag was in vigorous motion, conveying 
news of the movement to the " proper authorities." 

The entire absence of field-batteries had not been noticed by 
Stone's brigade during the harassing night march; but now 
that the hour for attempting a passage of the river was appar- 
ently at hand, and no guns were put in position to protect the 
boats, the officers most nearly concerned began to " smell a 
rat," and laughed heartily at their previous stupidity. 

Suddenly, while the troops were lolling at ease in the pleasant 
sunshine, awaiting further developments, the sound of bugles 
was heard, followed by the clatter of hoofs and the rumbling 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 75 

of heavy wheels, and a section of artillery was seen approach- 
ing from the direction of the woods, at a rapid trot, and turning 
into the field in rear of the pontoons with an air that seemed 
to presage immediate business. At the head of the column 
rode Quartermaster Voorhis, of the 150th, with drawn sabre, 
accompanied by a bugler, while two or three mounted subor- 
dinates of his department, impersonating non-commissioned 
officers, followed in their proper places beside the guns. Each 
piece was drawn by four horses with skilful drivers, and each 
caisson carried its complement of gunners. With the wild 
sweep of a tornado this unexpected Union re-enforcement came 
into view of the rebel group at Port Royal, and traversing the 
broad field with an ominous cracking of whips and piercing 
bugle blasts, wheeled suddenly to the left, countermarched a 
short distance, and went into position with the guns bearing 
on the rebel village. The stentorian tones of the quarter- 
master as he gave the command, " On the right into battery !" 
could have been heard a mile away; and but for that tell-tale 
field-glass at the old tavern, Port Royal might have trembled 
for her safety. As it was, it scarcely needed a second glance 
to detect the fact that the guns were wooden, skilfully wrapped 
with ponchos to give them the proper color, and that the cais- 
sons werQ feed-boxes carefully disguised by a covering of rubber 
blankets. The beds of two wagons of the commissary depart- 
ment had been removed, the running-gear uncoupled, and with 
sections of a stout sapling of suitable length and thickness, it 
was easy to do the rest. Nevertheless, the quartermaster re- 
ceived the plaudits of the entire division, all admitting that he 
had acquitted himself superbly and covered his "arm of the 
service" with glory. 

Owing to the lack of rope, thole-pins, and other necessary 
articles, none of the boats were ready until dusk, when some of 
them were carried to the river's edge and one or two launched. 
Meanwhile immense numbers of camp-fires were kindled in all 



76 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

directions, and every precaution was taken to indicate the 
presence of a large body of troops. 

Soon after nightfall the pontoons were broken up and re- 
loaded, and the division began its return march. Proceeding a 
mile or two, a halt was made, fires were built in the woods, and 
the command bivouacked. About 4.30 a.m. the march was 
resumed, and with sufficient halts at the breakfast and noon 
hours for the men to rest and clean up, the regiment reached 
camp about five p.m. in good condition, having come by a shorter 
and better road, by which the swollen streams were avoided. 

A day or two later a similar expedition was made by a 
detail from another division, which, properly equipped in 
the matter of boats and artillery, effected a crossing without 
opposition, taking a few prisoners. 

The object of these movements was evidently to keep the 
enemy from withdrawing troops from his right, the plans for 
the movement on Chancellorsville having already been laid. 

That General Lee was deceived by these demonstrations is 
obvious from the circumstance that General Jackson's lines 
were immediately extended to Port Royal, and his troops were 
not recalled until the thunder of the guns at Chancellorsville 
made it plain that Hooker's aim was to turn Lee's left. The 
deception was the more easily practised from the fact (as stated 
by Lieutenant Louis R. Fortescue, of the Signal Corps) that 
early in 1863 the rebels had possessed themselves of our sig- 
nals, and this being known to General Hooker, he purposely 
used them to mislead the enemy, who eagerly swallowed the 
bait. Thus, messages announcing the landing of large bodies 
of Union troops at a point below Aquia Creek were sped over the 
flags and promptly interpreted by the enemy. Doubleday's ex- 
pedition to Port Conway was a part of this scheme of deception. 

From this time forward eight days' rations, cooked and un- 
cooked, were required to be kept on hand, compelling the men 
to store " hard-tack" in their knapsacks (already burdened with 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. y/ 

twoscore extra rounds of ammunition), it being a physical im- 
possibility to squeeze a week's supply of provisions into an 
ordinary haversack. This, more than anything else, foretold 
with certainty the near approach of an important movement, 
involving the whole army. 

On the 26th of April the adjutant writes, "There is little 
regimental news. Gimber (captain of Company F) has been 
highly complimented in General Cutler's report as general 
officer of the day for his management of the picket line. Gen- 
eral Cutler's report was sent down, and I read it at dress parade 
this morning, together with Colonel Stone's Order No. 12, 
prescribing the manner of conducting a march. General 
Doubleday has, I believe, made a report placing the failure of 
our expedition (to Port Conway) on the pontoons. General 
Benham, chief of the pontoons, has replied, vindicating his 
pontoons. In this last report General Benham makes two or 
three misstatements, maintaining, among other things, that his 
pontoniers put up eight pontoons in thirty minutes. In the 
first place, but six pontoons were put together. Secondly, this 
was done mainly by our men, the pontoniers proving useless. 
Third, this could be done only by fastening them with ropes 
borrowed from the houses around." 

On Monday, April 27, the Eleventh, Twelfth, and Fifth Corps 
broke camp and began the march towards Chancellorsville. On 
the following day the Sixth, Third, and First Corps were on 
the banks of the Rappahannock, — the First at Pollock's Mills, 
nearly four miles below Fredericksburg, with a pontoon bridge 
successfully laid and one division (the First, — Wadsworth's) 
firmly established on the south side; the Sixth a mile or two 
higher up, with its pontoons also in position, and one division 
safely across. On Wednesday, the 29th, the Third Corps left 
for Chancellorsville, the Second moving to Banks's Ford the 
same day. The First and Sixth rested quietly, awaiting the 
result of the movement of the main portion of the army. On 



78 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Friday heavy firing was heard in a westerly direction, an- 
nouncing an engagement between Hooker's and Lee's forces. 

On Saturday morning, May 2, the First Corps was under 
arms at a fairly early hour, with orders to proceed to Chancel- 
lorsville. For some reason the start was delayed a considerable 
while, during which some of the enemy's batteries in the forti- 
fications a mile or more beyond the river dropped several scores 
of shells and solid shot among the troops, causing a general 
stampede of the colored servants, but resulting in very few 
casualties. The 150th escaped injury entirely, but Colonel 
Wister had a narrow " call," a shell dropping within a foot of 
his horse's nose, as he sat in the saddle waiting for the order 
to move, and burying itself at the animal's feet without ex- 
ploding. A day or two previous, when a similar shelling oc- 
curred, several batteries of the corps were trained on the rebel 
fortifications, and an animated duel was kept up for an hour or 
more, with no noticeable result. 

It was on this previous occasion that the 150th was first 
under fire, and it underwent the ordeal most handsomely. The 
regiment was resting on a hill-side, in column of divisions, 
when, without warning, the long Whitworth projectiles began 
to pass over it with their curious whirring sound, and some to 
fall unpleasantly near. Another regiment in close proximity, 
similarly greeted, was stampeded and scattered in most unmili- 
tary confusion. Colonel Wister immediately formed his com- 
mand, put it through some exercises of the manual and some 
simple battalion movements, and only then marched it slowly 
and deliberately to a place of shelter. The effect of this, their 
first taste of fire, on the men was admirable, filling them with 
confidence and pride in their own courage and discipline. 

Speaking of the occasion when Colonel Wister had so narrow 
an escape from the shell which struck among a group of officers 
of which he was the centre, Adjutant Ashhurst says, " On Sat- 
urday morning we got orders to move about eight, but just as 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 79 

we started at the head of the column (the 149th, in advance, 
was moving out of the hollow to go up the river), the rebs re- 
opened with shell on us. We halted in the hollow for a few 
minutes, where we were pretty safe. Only one shell came 
directly among us, and that came into a group composed of 
Colonel Wister, our major, Parsons, and myself, but went into 
the ground without exploding. Had it burst, it would probably 
have made a clean sweep of us." 

About nine o'clock came the order to march, and the column 
stepped out to the irregular music of bursting shells, which 
continued to accompany it for at least a mile of the way. 



80 OiXE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER XI. 

CHANCELLORSVILLE. 

The day was warm and the air so charged with humidity 
that the sHghtest motion induced copious perspiration. It was 
evident from the start that the march would be an exhausting 
one for both officers and men. In quitting their comfortable 
huts near Belle Plain the latter had crowded into their knap- 
sacks articles of clothing in excess of the soldier's proper 
allowance, besides many knickknacks to which they had be- 
come attached; so that with a week's supply of hard-tack and 
the extra forty rounds of ball cartridge superadded, some of 
the knapsacks assumed the proportions of a pedler's .outfit. 
For an hour or more they bore up bravely under this heavy 
load, but when the column had passed Falmouth, at every halt, 
however brief, the contents of their packs were hastily exam- 
ined, and first one thing and then another discarded, until the 
road was strewn with shirts, drawers, socks, pieces of blanket, 
and an endless variety of " plunder." With every passing mo- 
ment the air seemed to grow hotter, and further measures of 
relief were studied and practised, until even cherished keep- 
sakes were flung aside with a sigh, in order to accommodate 
the burden to the capacity of the bearer. A few of the men 
were caught in the act of removing the metallic eagle from the 
shoulder-belt which sustained the cartridge-box, but a threat of 
punishment put a stop to this unwarranted scheme. On moved 
the column, with faces growing more and more florid and 
streaming with increased perspiration, weaving in and out 
among the wagons which encumbered the road in places, and 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 8 1 

jaded by abrupt halts and starts when temporary blockades 
occurred, until at last, when United States Ford was reached, 
about six o'clock, many of the men seemed ready to drop from 
sheer exhaustion. All the afternoon they had listened to the 
sound of artillery, now weak and fitful, now loud and continu- 
ous, away in the direction of Chancellorsville, and wished that 
they might exchange the fatigues of the march for the excite- 
ment of the battle-field, with all its possible dangers. 

The crowded condition of the pontoon bridge, over which 
batteries and regiments were streaming in one direction and 
ambulances laden with wounded in another, necessitated a rest 
of perhaps half an hour, which was gladly welcomed by the 
tired men. Then, just as the sun was setting, the brigade 
crossed the river, and, under orders from a staff-officer, turned 
to the left, in the shadow of tall forest trees, and prepared to 
bivouac for the night. It would have been happiness enough 
for the command to throw off its cumbersome packs, undo its 
" harness," and roll itself into its blankets, without thought of 
food or drink, to find in sleep a panacea for the physical trials 
of the day; but such good fortune was not in store for it. 
Evidently something was wrong at the front, for the artillery 
growled more furiously and ominously than ever, and its 
echoes were multiplied and intensified as they rolled through 
the thick woods to the banks of the Rappahannock. Again 
the order was " Fall in !" and " Forward !" and in the fading 
twilight the column headed through the forest and moved 
rapidly towards the scene of the firing. Night soon closed in, 
but the cannonading continued, and before long the crash, of 
volleying small-arms could be distinctly heard. At a distance 
of two or three miles from the ford the narrow road was 
blocked by a long train of ambulances, conveying the wounded 
to the rear; and as the brigade picked its way around the ob- 
struction it was whispered that General Devens, afterwards 
Attorney-General of the United States, was among those more 



82 ONE HUNDRED AND EIETIETH 

seriously disabled. Soon a battery or two, in a seeming state 
of confusion, interrupted the march, necessitating a momentary 
halt, during which the troops were instructed to load. From 
this point forward the forest presented a weird and impressive 
spectacle. Here and there dead pines were ablaze to the very 
top, and in the light of these lofty torches each trunk and limb 
of the solemn trees was distinctly outlined, while thousands of 
startled whippoorwills made doleful music for the advancing 
re-enforcements. 

Of this night advance Adjutant Ashhurst says, "Fatigued, 
and indeed utterly worn out as the regiment was with its hot 
and prolonged march, yet when the order to load was given, 
and the men realized that they were at last close to the foe and 
might be engaged at any moment, all weariness seemed to 
vanish, and they moved forward with a step as light and eager 
as in the morning. This night march by the light of the burn- 
ing pines, to the sound of the cannon, was wonderfully pictu- 
resque and exciting, and was diversified by the meeting of every 
kind of returning combatant and non-combatant from the field 
of battle, who filled our ears with tales of the valor of the 
Third and the misconduct of the Eleventh Corps. I remember 
particularly a gallant Irishman of Sickles's corps, who greeted 
us as we came by with, ' We were just winning the most glori- 
ous victory in the world, boys, when those damned Dutchmen 
ran. If you'd only been there instead ! But we'll be with you 
in the morning !' " 

About half a mile from the Chancellorsville pike a dark line 
of blue, flat on the ground, stretched diagonally across the road 
into the woods to an unknown distance on either side. To the 
question, " What troops are those ?" came the reply, " Regu- 
lars !" Unmistakably the Union arms had met with a reverse. 
Nor were the new-comers long in learning of Jackson's flank 
attack, which brought disaster to Howard's (Eleventh) corps, 
on the extreme right of the army, and left the final issue of the 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 83 

battle uncertain. In a few minutes more the brigade reached 
the turnpike, where it was directed to the left, and nuirched 
nearly to the Chancellor House. Shells were still flying, and 
an occasional volley of musketry told that deadly work was still 
going on. Mingled with the sound of the guns could be heard 
the shrill rebel yell and the heavier refrain of Union cheers. 

It was now near midnight, and by order of General Hooker 
the troops of the First Corps countermarched and, moving 
some distance to the right, threw themselves into the dense 
woods, facing the supposed position of the enemy. The exact 
location of the latter's left wing could only be conjectured, but 
it was to be expected that before they could complete their line 
the Union troops would be fired upon. Such was not the case, 
however, and, after establishing a cordon of pickets about two 
hundred yards in front, the First Corps slept undisturbed on 
its arms. 

The darkness of the night, intensified by the overhanging 
trees and underbrush, made it desirable that the pickets should 
have some mark by which they might distinguish one another, 
and accordingly those of the 150th (who volunteered for this 
dangerous duty) were instructed to roll up one sleeve of the 
blouse, displaying the white of the shirt as far as the elbow. 
In placing the line. Major Chamberlin, who was designated for 
this purpose, gathered up a score or two of the stampeded 
men of the Eleventh Corps, who were sleeping in the woods, 
utterly lost, and after completing his ticklish task, piloted them 
back to the pike, where they were turned over to the provost 
guard. One German, who was evidently a company cook, with 
a mass of kettles and pans in his keeping, was disposed to 
make resistance when roused from his leafy couch, imagining, 
no doubt, that he was being made a prisoner by the enemy ; 
but on being assured in his own tongue that he was in the 
hands of friends, he shouldered his huge collection of govern- 
ment property and moved off with alacrity. 



84 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

On the morning of the 3d an admirable line of breastworks 
was constructed of fallen trees and of others which were 
speedily felled for the purpose, along the entire front of the 
corps, and this was quickly duplicated by the reserves at a 
short distance in the rear; so that in a few hours the position 
of Reynolds's command was practically impregnable. The 
same kind of defences was prepared by the Fifth Corps, which 
had been advanced before morning and joined the First on 
the left, Stone's brigade touching elbows with Sykes's division. 
The underbrush was also cleared away for a space of two hun- 
dred yards in front of the lines, so as to obtain an early view 
of the enemy, should he attack, and give greater effect to a 
musketry fire. 

Immediately after daybreak Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper, 
who had been placed in charge of the pickets of Doubleday's 
division, advanced the line half a mile or more, the pickets of 
the divisions to the right and left sharing in the movement. 
Here the fire of the enemy's sharp-shooters began to be felt, 
but, alert and crafty, the Bucktail marksmen got the better of 
their antagonists, and during the day Colonel Huidekoper sent 
back a large number of prisoners, chiefly from Georgia and 
North Carolina regiments. The Georgians had been freshly 
uniformed, and in physical condition were far superior to their 
" tar-heel" comrades, upon whom they seemed to look with 
some contempt. The North Carolinians, ragged to a degree, 
were neither " fat" nor " saucy," and in conversation expressed 
themselves as being tired of the war. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper was probably the first to 
report the serious wounding of " Stonewall" Jackson, having 
learned the fact from prisoners taken on the picket line May 3. 

An incident which occurred in the works of the 150th, about 
noon of the 3d, created no little merriment at the expense of 
one of its subalterns. The ground immediately behind the 
portion of the defences occupied by his company (of which, 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 85 

through the sickness of his captain, he was in command) rose 
to such an extent that, thinking if he maintained his proper 
distance he would, in case of an attack, be exposed to the 
bullets of the enemy, and believing that " an ounce of preven- 
tion is worth a pound of cure," this ingenious young officer 
directed one of his pioneers to dig a hole of sufficient dimen- 
sions to shelter his valuable person. When finished, it much 
resembled a grave, and so contagious was the laughter which 
it occasioned that Colonel Wister's attention was speedily 
directed to the unsightly excavation. The rebuke which he 
administered to the offending lieutenant was of a kind to send 
cold chills down his back, and when the latter was ordered to 
close the trench with his own hands, the cup of his abasement 
was full. 

During the day there was heavy firing, both artillery and 
musketry, some distance to the left and front, in which the 
First Corps had no part. On account of the dense woods 
which intervened it was impossible to see what was going on, 
nor could anything be learned of the progress of the battle, 
except from the indications given by the swell and lull of the 
fire of the contending forces. The roar of the cannon and the 
crash of small-arms were at times so loud and continuous as 
to raise keen apprehensions of another disaster to some por- 
tion of the Union line. It was the Third Corps, assisted by 
Williams's division of the Second, under the active and able 
generalship of Sickles, meeting the repeated onsets of Jack- 
son's troops, who the evening before had swept Howard's 
command from the field. General Hooker had ordered a con- 
traction of his lines, but the enemy attacked in the early morn- 
ing, and a withdrawal could not be effected without a fight, 
which lasted for hours, with varying fortune, and proved to be 
the most sanguinary of the series of encounters in the Chan- 
cellorsville campaign. While at its height, the forest took fire, 
exposing the helpless wounded to a cruel death and enveloping 



86 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

the entire battle-ground in dense volumes of smoke, through 
which charge and countercharge continued until Sickles could 
withdraw to the new line without danger of being overwhelmed 
in the movement. 

Some time during the day a rumor spread among the troops 
that Hooker had been seriously hurt by a shell, at the Chan- 
cellor House, intensifying the feeling of depression which pre- 
vailed in some of the commands on account of the misfortune 
of the previous evening. When, therefore, about four o'clock, 
he rode along a considerable portion, of the line, looking the 
very ideal of a soldier, and exhibiting no sign of the suffering 
he was even then enduring, great was the rebound in the feel- 
ings of the men, who greeted him everywhere with a tempest 
of cheers. 

The evening and night passed without any extraordinary 
alarm, and the rest must have been most grateful to the troops 
who had borne the brunt of the day's fighting. 

On the morning of the 4th quiet still prevailed, except that 
guns were heard in the direction of Banks's Ford, where 
Sedgwick was known to be in position, but not frequent 
enough to indicate a serious encounter. At Chancellorsville, 
such was the disposition of the Union forces and such the 
strength of their defences that an attack was ardently desired, 
but the enemy seemed indisposed to deliver battle. During 
the day there was no movement on either side, except trifling 
reconnoissances to ascertain each other's whereabouts. In the 
afternoon, between four and five o'clock. Stone's brigade was 
sent out in a southerly direction, and by a narrow forest road, 
in places overgrown by young pines, penetrated nearly to the 
plank road and within a few rods of the enemy's lines. The 
voices of the teamsters in conversation and the rattling of the 
trace-chains of the horses could be distinctly heard. 

The 150th led, with skirmishers in front and on either side, 
and so dense was the growth of straight pine saplings that 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 87 

the flankers could make their way only with the greatest diffi- 
culty. A number of prisoners were gathered up during the 
movement, but as Stone had been cautioned not to bring on an 
engagement, not a shot was fired, save one which was the result 
of an accident, and which, fortunately or unfortunately, pro- 
duced no alarm. Having detected the presence of the enemy 
in more or less force, the expedition returned to its breastworks 
soon after nightfall, and, as these had been occupied by other 
troops, messengers were sent back in advance to warn the 
latter not to fire on the brigade when it approached the lines. 
The precaution was a wise one, for many of the regiments were 
in a state of nervous tension which brooked no alarms of any 
kind; and, indeed, just as Stone's men were crossing their 
breastworks, for some unaccountable reason, several regimental 
commands farther to the right poured volley after volley into 
the empty woods in front of them. Fearing that the recon- 
noitring brigade had been fired on, General Reynolds sent one 
of his staff-officers, Captain Riddle, to ascertain the cause and 
result of the firing, and with him Major Chamberlin returned 
to corps head-quarters, where he found General Reynolds and 
General Doubleday for the moment occupying the same tent, 
the latter sitting on a camp-stool, while the former reclined on 
his blankets. Questioned as to the incidents of the reconnois- 
sance, the major briefly recited the story of the movement, 
closing with the remark that it would have been the easiest 
thing in the world for Stone to have brought on an engagement. 
" I wish to God he had !" was the curt and only comment from 
the lips of General Reynolds. 

On the following day, May 5, the opposing armies continued 
their attitude of mutual observation and defiance at a compara- 
tively safe remove, recalling forcibly the episode of the bellig- 
erent school-boys who burned to knock the chip from each 
other's shoulder, but " one was afeard and t'other dassent." 

In the afternoon Quartermaster Voorhis sent up a train of 



88 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

pack-mules from United States Ford with a fresh supply of 
ammunition for the regiment, — which was not needed, — but, 
fortunately, also with fresh store of provisions, which found 
most grateful acceptance. About four o'clock a heavy rain- 
fall set in, in the midst of which, a few hours later, the First 
Corps began to withdraw from its defences and move back 
towards the ford, preceded by other troops which had made an 
earlier start. In the intense darkness, under a pelting storm, 
on a rough and narrow road choked repeatedly by halting 
columns, it was a most dismal march, stretching through weary 
hours and disheartening alike to officers and men. At day- 
break the river was reached, and the pontoons, half submerged 
in its. swollen torrent, seemed in danger of being swept away 
under the heavy burden of batteries and regiments which 
moved in unbroken succession to the northern shore. In the 
open space on the southern bank were massed brigade upon 
brigade and division upon division, to the number of perhaps 
thirty thousand troops, impatiently awaiting their turn to cross. . 
It was a magnificent and impressive spectacle, but the mind of 
the looker-on could not help thinking how a sudden onset of 
the enemy, — if he chose to pursue, — or the dropping of some 
scores of shells from well-directed guns, might create a panic 
in this armed host and fairly choke the stream with drowning 
men. To avert the possibility of disaster by surprise, the 
pickets had been left at their posts and their officers instructed 
to have the last cartridge expended, if necessary, to veil the 
retreat of the army. It was expected that portions of the line 
would be gobbled up when the enemy discovered the real sit- 
uation ; and Captafn Jones, who commanded the pickets of the 
150th, stated afterwards that it was whispered to him, when he 
went on duty, that he must face the prospect of capture, to- 
gether with his company, for the general good. Happily, on 
the morning of the 6th the enemy was not in an enterprising 
mood, and the Union troops went on their way undisturbed. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 89 

By about eight o'clock the last of the regiments had pass ed 
and the pontoons were ready to be taken up. Sufficient time 
having elapsed to insure the safety of the army, Captain Jones 
quietly withdrew his men, barely escaping capture, and by a 
hurried march succeeded in reaching the ford before the last 
bridge was completely dismantled. He rejoined the regiment 
a few days later at White Oak Church. Others of the picket 
force were made prisoners and sent south to endure untold 
privations. Thus ended the Chancellorsville campaign. 

It is not the purpose of this modest history to give the de- 
tails of battles, except in so far as the 150th was concerned in 
them, nor to criticise the plans of any commanding general or 
his management of his army, since abler pens in more am- 
bitious works have exhausted the incidents of each campaign, 
and shown (to the entire satisfaction of the writers) how every 
engagement of any consequence might have been so conducted 
as to insure a decisive victory. Of Chancellorsville, however, 
it may be permitted to say that, while it is generally conceded 
that defeat resulted from Howard's over-confidence, Sedgwick's 
tardiness, and the insignificant results of the cavalry expedi- 
tions which were expected to achieve so much, greater celerity 
of movement on the part of the several corps which formed 
the van of the army, and a more earnest determination to 
" push things," would doubtless have placed Hooker in a posi- 
tion beyond the " Wilderness," where, as voiced in his con- 
gratulatory order of the evening of April 30, " Our enemy 
must either ingloriously fly or come out from behind his de- 
fences and give us battle on our own ground, where certain 
destruction awaits him." Nor can too much stress be laid 
upon the injury received by the commanding general on the 
morning of May 3, which practically incapacitated him for the 
further conduct of the battle, and probably prevented him from 
hurling the First and a part of the Fifth Corps — in numbers 
upwards of twenty thousand fresh troops — on the depicted left 



90 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

flank of the enemy, to roll it together like a scroll and avenge 
the disaster of the previous day. Certainly the First Corps 
was eager to go forward, and as a mass would have devoutly 
echoed the sentiment of its stern commander when told how 
readily Stone, with his little brigade, could have precipitated 
an engagement on the afternoon of the 4th, " I wish to God he 
had!" 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 9 1 



CHAPTER XII. 

IN CAMP AT WHITE OAK CHURCH. 

Excessive fatigue, loss of sleep, the pouring rain, and, above 
all, the knowledge that a great movement, auspiciously begun, 
on which so many hopes were based, had proved unsuccessful, 
conspired to depress the spirits of the rank and file and de- 
velop for a time a certain degree of irritability. In mounting 
the steep, wooded hill facing the ford, men of different regi- 
ments became more or less intermingled, and their criticisms 
of one another were not all of the politest ; while some of 
their officers, who strove to preserve an appearance of order 
in the ranks, failed to command the respect to which their po- 
sition entitled them. It was not, however, an hour in which to 
meditate harsh measures, and indeed, after the trying experi- 
ences of the past few days, the men had claim to more than 
usual forbearance. When the column reached the summit, 
and could move more freely on the muddy but otherwise un- 
obstructed roads, a better feeling began to prevail, and all 
swung forward with alacrity, in the hope of soon being halted 
and allowed to go into camp. But no such good fortune was 
in store for them, — at least for Colonel Stone's brigade. Either 
that officer had omitted to obtain orders as to the destination 
of his command, or he must have misinterpreted them, for he 
continued to lead it through the pelting rain over roads that 
grew every moment more difficult, and once at least, by mis- 
taking the way, necessitated perhaps a mile or two of useless 
marching, when every needless step was a punishment. 

At last, about noon, a halt of two or three hours was made, 
and most of the men refreshed themselves wMth coffee, though 



92 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

many did not go to the trouble of building fires to prepare it, 
fearing that an order to move might come at any moment and 
leave them with only " their labor for their pains." 

The march was resumed near the middle of the afternoon, 
and the experience of the next few hours was worse than that 
of the morning. In many places brooks had overflowed their 
banks and spread over wide spaces between the hills, and 
through these muddy torrents the brigade was compelled to 
pass, with water reaching to the cartridge-belt, chilling ex- 
hausted limbs and causing suffering stomachs to yearn for 
warming food and drink. It was a cruel stretch, lasting into 
the night; and when, about eight or nine o'clock, the fires of a 
cavalry post were seen at White Oak Church, each regiment 
dissolved without command, to seek shelter wherever it could 
be found. A few were accommodated in the little church, but 
the larger number hunted up the deserted camps in the imme- 
diate neighborhood, where they found protection from the rain, 
and in blessed sleep forgot the day's accumulated unpleasant- 
nesses. Colonel Wister and Adjutant Ashhurst were fortunate 
enough to obtain quarters in a farm-house near by, where they 
were comfortably entertained ; while the lieutenant-colonel and 
major, from lack of enterprise or utter exhaustion, accepted 
the first resting-place which offered, without considering the 
question of previous occupancy. 

On the following morning a melancholy beating of rain- 
soaked drums called the scattered men together, their clothing 
and equipments still sadly suggestive of a long struggle with 
water and mire; and without obtaining orders where to go, 
Colonel Stone led the brigade back to its old quarters near 
Belle Plain. Here orders sought hiui, and on the morning of 
the 9th, after a comfortable night's rest, he marched his com- 
mand back to the neighborhood of White Oak Church, and 
went into camp in a wood, about two miles from the Rappa- 
hannock, not far from Pollock's Mills. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 93 

Measures were promptly adopted to repair the wear and tear 
of the Chancellorsville mov^ement, and in a few days the 150th, 
which knew no idle moments, was again in an approved state 
of discipline and efficiency. Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper, 
who, by the courtesy of Colonel Wister, had much to do with 
the instruction of the regiment in its manifold duties, granted 
mild indulgences to the member of each company who kept 
his clothing, arms, and accoutrements in the most satisfactory 
condition, begetting in this manner ah agreeable rivalry which 
was productive of the best results. In his brief " History of 
the 150th," published in the Scout and Mail, Sergeant Ramsey, 
of Company F, says, " While encamped at White Oak Church 
an incident occurred which will serve to illustrate the impar- 
tiality of Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper's judgment as an 
inspecting officer, and his perfect recollection in after-years of 
any circumstance connected with the regiment. The camp 
and regiment were regularly inspected every Sunday morning, 
and everything done to incite the zeal of the various companies 
and individual men to excel in their appearance. In one of the 
companies was a young man who was constantly commended 
by the lieutenant-colonel for having his piece in the best order. 
This produced criticism, and, finally, the allegation of favoritism, 
and the boys determined to test the matter by having the gun 
of the supposed favorite exchanged for that of another mem- 
ber of the company who always had his gun in good order. 
When the company in which these men were was reached, the 

inspecting officer, Lieutenant-Colonel H , handled several 

muskets before coming to the one in question, which was taken, 
carefully examined, and returned with the remark, * Baker, 
you have your piece as clean this morning as Reynolds's ever 
was; now see if you cannot have it so every morning.' Nearly 

twenty years after this occurrence (Colonel H not having 

seen him in the mean time) Reynolds called at the colonel's 
office and, giving his name, remarked, * I do not suppose you 



94 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

remember me.' The immediate answer was, 'Oh, yes; the 
boy who always had a clean musket.' " 

If the regiment excelled in the neatness of its clothing, — as it 
certainly did, — this was largely due to the watchfulness of Adju- 
tant Ashhurst, who was not only painstaking in all the routine 
duties of his office, but kept a vigilant eye on the appearance 
and bearing of the men. To his prudent foresight the com- 
mand was indebted for a perennial supply of white gloves, 
which added greatly to the attractiveness of its dress parades, 
already noticeable for the perfection of the men in the manual 
of arms. On every occasion of this kind the number of spec- 
tators from other camps equalled or exceeded the strength of 
the regiment. 

Picket duty was one of the most pleasing features of the 
service at this point. The " turn" of each regiment lasted two 
days, and as the weather was for the most part delightful, and a 
tacit understanding existed between the two lines (separated 
for some distance only by the width of the Rappahannock) 
that there should be no firing, the men went as cheerfully to 
this duty as to a picnic. In a letter to a member of his family, 
written Sunday, May 17, Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper says, 
" One-half of my picket line ran along the river,- on the oppo- 
site bank of which rebels sat talking and chatting at ease. 
They go in swimming by dozens and paddle half-way across. 
They are talkative and on good terms with our men. As they 
parted to-day, each promised to take care of the other if they 
should be taken prisoners. It was the 19th Georgia, Some 
of the questions asked were these : 

" Rebel. — ' Where is Joe Hooker now ?' 

" Anszuer. — ' Gone to Jackson's funeral.' 

" Rebel. — ' Has Joe got the splinters out of his face ?' 

" Answer. — ' Oh, yes ; they grew out.' 

" Rebel. — ' I'll give you these plugs of tobacco for some 
coffee, and swim across for it.' 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 95 

" Anszver. — ' Oh, we have plenty of tobacco.' 

" Yesterday the 2d Wisconsin exchanged newspapers with 
the enemy. My head-quarters were in the yard of Assistant 
Secretary of War (C. S. A.) Major Seddon's house, about a 
quarter of a mile from the river. It is on a hill, and the view 
is perfectly lovely. The valley is three or four miles wide, and 
on either bank were thousands of cattle and mules, pasturing 
in the heavy clover. Officers rode along either bank in safety. 
At Mrs. Seddon's house was a signal station. The darkies 
supplied me with milk by stealing it from the buckets. They 
are good friends to the Union army." 

On the 1 8th of May the regimental camp was moved from 
the cool woods to a hill as bare as a billiard-ball, because the 
medical director pronounced the other location unhealthy. 
By erecting arbors in front of their tents, covered with twigs 
cut from the grove, the men succeeded not only in obtaining 
a grateful shelter from the warm sun, but in giving to the camp 
a peculiarly picturesque appearance. 

Here the fondness of men, whose home ties are sundered, for 
pets of all kinds, cropped out to a marked extent. At the 
colonel's quarters a black-and-tan bitch of good strain and 
heavy with pups, which had followed the regiment from Chan- 
cellorsville, was the object of much attention, and frequent 
were the friendly disputes as to the partition of the expected 
litter. In some of the company camps could be found a young 
crow or two, a cat, a tame squirrel, dogs, and even a wretched buz- 
zard, whose scanty and rumpled feathers were suggestive of the 
repentant parrot after its famous encounter with the monkey. 

Mention must not be omitted of the dog " Jim," of whom 
the property right was vested in Sergeant " Jack" Kensil, of 
Company F, but who was known to every man in the regiment, 
and endeared himself to all by his pluck and constancy. He 
shared the fortunes of the command until the close of the war, 
running narrow chances of death or disablement on many 



g6 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

fields; and though often separated from his immediate master, 
and at times from the regiment, by the accid-ents of battle, in- 
variably turned up in the right place to receive the congratula- 
tions and caresses of his numerous friends. He was duly 
mustered out in the spring of 1865, and provided with a written 
discharge as formal in its wording as the valuable paper fur- 
nished by the War Department. 

On the 2ist of May, Adjutant Ashhurst writes, "We have 
been ordered to be ready to move to-night. The idea is this. 
A regiment crossed over from the other side to plunder, some 
days since, and we sent some cavalry down to meet them. 
To-day the rebels telegraphed by signals that a bridge was 
broken, cutting off our cavalry, and by re-enforcements they 
could capture it. Colonel Morrow's (Iron) brigade, First Divi- 
sion, was sent this morning to repair the bridge and meet the 
enemy. If needed, we are to go to-night." 

On the 22d he adds, " We did not move last night, and are 
remaining here very quiet. The bower we have in front of our 
tent makes it pretty cool. It is still cool at nights. Very many 
of our officers are sick. Widdis and Fisher, of A; Sears, of 
F ; Gutelius, of D ; Tryon, of I ; Davis, of C ; Reisinger, of H ; 
Pine and Carpenter, of E; and Chatburn, of B. Gutelius has 
been very ill, but is getting better now. Tryon is quite ill. I 
think Davis and Pine will either resign or go on the invalid 
detachment. Reisinger has hurt his leg with a bayonet. 
Chatburn is getting better. The others are light cases." 

On the 25th of May, Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper, im- 
pressed by the beauty of his surroundings and the harmony 
which filled the air, wrote to one of his friends, " The bands 
around us and across the river have been playing sweetly for a 
few days. It is delightful as the sun goes down to sit in one's 
tent and enjoy the music, which seems to float from camp to 
camp. Camp life will have a thousand recollections which will 
outlive all memory of the hardships." 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 97 

Captain H. W. Crotzer, of Company D, was mustered out of 
the service on the i8th of May, on surgeon's certificate of dis- 
ability. His physical condition was none of the best before 
quitting Belle Plain, and on the long march to United States 
Ford, on the 2d of May, he broke down completely. Reach- 
ing the ford with great difficulty, he received much-needed 
medical attention, and as soon as his strength permitted, 
turned in and did what he could to alleviate the sufferings of 
the wounded in the field hospitals at that point. As his own 
trouble was of a chronic nature, he deemed it best to retire 
from the army. 

Captain John B. Fay, of Company C, had been stricken with 
malaria prior to the breaking of camp, and also took no part 
in the Chancellorsville camj>aign. He was sent to one of the 
hospitals, and, typhoid fever developing itself in his case, he 
never resumed command of his company, but was honorably 
discharged, on surgeon's certificate, on the 16th of the follow- 
ing September. 

Dr. Philip A. Quinan, who had been assigned as surgeon to 
the regiment, reached camp and assumed his duties on the 28th 
of May. He claimed to have had experience as an assistant 
surgeon in the regular cavalry for several years, and seemed to 
be well up in his profession; but a natural or studied cynicism, 
coupled with excessive self-consciousness and a disposition to 
belittle his superiors in the medical department, failed to com- 
mend him to his fellow-officers or secure their friendship. His 
advent was signalized by an almost immediate reduction of the 
sick-list from seventy to twenty-nine, whether wisely or un- 
wisely it would be difficult to say. 

On May 27 the adjutant writes, " I was down at the picket line 
to-day. The rebels on their side are as numerous and easy as 
usual, bathing, fishing, etc. I saw one man walking his beat, 
carrying his gun. He is the first I have seen doing that. They 
nearly all lie down, while our men arc nearly all obliged to walk 

7 



98 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

their beats. If we move now we must leave behind us Jones, 
Reisinger, and Pine. The two former, I believe, are suffering 
from intermittent fever, the latter from exhaustion and nervous 
debility. Also Lieutenants Tryon, Gutelius, and Davis. Tryon 
is convalescent, Gutelius has had a relapse, Davis is used up." 

On the 28th he continues, "We did not move yesterday or 
to-day, and our movements are still most uncertain. The rebels 
were said this morning to be withdrawing from our front, but 
this afternoon they are out in large force, holding brigade drills 
across the river in view of our line. We have the belief that they 
have a scheme of crossing somewhere, and the excessive move- 
ments they are making everywhere are intended to blind us to 
something, — exactly what, we do not know. 

" We rode out to the picket line this afternoon, and went up 
to Mr. Strother's, where we get our butter, and had a nice talk 
with his three daughters, rather fine girls. Mr. Strother is a 
bitter secessionist, but his wife and daughters are very pleasant 
and courteous, and make very good butter, at fifty cents a 
pound. . . . They are much disgusted ' at our men having 
milked their cows last night. Old Strother says, ' If your men 
milk the cows there can be no butter for you,' and the truth of 
his statement cannot be denied." 

On the 29th of May, Assistant Surgeon M. A. Henderson 
sent in his resignation, which was promptly accepted. Having 
passed his prime, and ill health seriously limiting his usefulness 
in the field, he could easily be spared by the regiment. It is sus- 
pected, hovyever, that Surgeon Quinan assisted him in making 
up his mind to leave. 

In the latter part of May and beginning of June it was evident 
that General Lee had begun a movement of importance, the 
exact object of which it was General Hooker's aim, by the un- 
sparing use of his cavalry, to discover and prepare to thwart. The 
enemy veiled his intentions by equal activity on the part of his 
mounted forces, and the uncertainty resulting from this state of 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 99 

things kept the Union army, for a time, in a condition of unrest 
that was far from enjoyable. Orders to be in readiness to move 
were received every day or two, only to be countermanded 
within a i^w hours, perhaps, after all the labor of packing and 
breaking camp had been gone through. From their very fre- 
quency the regiment soon came to regard these orders with 
serenity, and in the first days of June abandoned itself, in un- 
claimed hours, to the pleasant pastime of cricket,— a game very 
dear to Philadelphians,— for which a complete outfit had been 
ordered some time before. 

On the 5th of June it was reported that the enemy had evac- 
uated the heights, a heavy force of Union cavalry having passed 
the river the previous day to reconnoitre. The Second Division 
of the Sixth Corps crossed near Pollock's Mills on the afternoon 
of the 5th. On the 6th, Stone's brigade w^as under arms more 
or less from three a.m. until four p.m., when, a storm coming up, 
tents were pitched again without orders. The 150th went on 
picket on the following day, the adjutant remaining in camp to 
receive orders. In a letter of that date he mentions the fact 
that Captain Pine and Lieutenant Tryon had been sent to 
Georgetown Hospital, and Captain Reisinger and Lieutenant 
Gutelius to the hospital at Windmill Point. 

On the loth he writes, " There is nothing new here. The 
enemy shows considerable force opposite us. We changed the 
position of our reserve and picket line on Monday, bringino- 
some one hundred and fifty men forward from the woods into a 
hollow not far from the river. This the enemy construed into 
an attempt to cross, for they brought down a battery and a 
brigade of infantry, which they drew up in line to oppose our 
crossing. Finding us quiet, they withdrew them about eight a.m. ' 
yesterday, but kept their rifle-pits filled and heavy pickets out 
all day. Our regiment flatters itself at having produced con- 
siderable sensation among the rebels without intending it. Our 
men came in from picket to-day." 



lOO ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

On the 8th, while on the picket Hne, Elvidge recorded in his 
diary, " Went on picket. Brought everything along with us. 
The rebs are making a big show across the river, so I guess 
they mean a move of some kind." 

Three days later Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper writes, 
" We have been under marching orders for eight days, during 
which the men have had to live on coffee, crackers, and some 
meat." 

The Gettysburg campaign was about to begin. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 10 1 



CHAPTER XIII. 

TO GETTYSBURG. 

On the 12th of June the First Corps broke camp and, taking 
a circuitous route by way of Stoneman's Switch to avoid being 
seen by the enemy, struck the Warrenton road near Elk (or 
Hartwood) Church, and marched towards Bealeton. Colonel 
Stone being absent on leave, Colonel Wister had command of 
the brigade. At the church a deserter from the First Division 
(Wadsworth's) was led out, shot, and buried within sight of the 
road. The corps bivouacked that night in broad meadows 
about twelve miles from the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, 
having covered a distance of twenty miles. 

The march was very trying on account of the intense heat, 
the dust, and want of water, the column sometimes making 
four or five miles without encountering even a mud-puddle 
from which to allay its thirst. On the following morning, be- 
fore day, the Third Corps took the lead, and the First, falling 
in behind it, moved rapidly towards Bealeton, passing detach- 
ments of the Fifth Corps (which at that time was guarding the 
fords on the Rappahannock) and reaching its destination late 
in the afternoon. The 150th acted as rear-guard of the corps, 
bringing up the stragglers, — a task which gave it plenty to do, 
but enabled it to set its own pace and come in with less fatigue 
than on the previous day. The distance was about fourteen 
miles. 

Bealeton Station is about four miles from the Rappahan- 
nock, and consisted then of a couple of deserted houses. 
Around it is a fine farming country, which for a year or two 



I02 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

had been untouched by the plough and was absolutely de- 
nuded of fences. The frame houses had been loop-holed and 
strengthened with thick planks by the railroad guards, render- 
ing them admirable for defence. 

On the 14th the First Corps started for Manassas Junction, 
and made one of the most tortuous and torturing marches on 
record. The heat of the sun was withering. Not a breath of 
air stirred the leaves ; the dust rose like a white cloud, powder- 
ing the hair and clothes of the troops and almost stifling them ; 
and, to add to the general discomfort, not a drop of water was 
to be had at times for a distance of five miles. This can be 
easily understood when it is stated that no rain had fallen since 
the 5th of May. No man was allowed to fall out of ranks, 
under any pretext, without a pass from his company com- 
mander, approved by the regimental surgeon. Those who did 
were driven in again by the field-officer at the rear of each 
regiment, or " gobbled up" by the rear-guard and urged forward 
forcibly. This was a necessary precaution, as the whole coun- 
try was open to the guerillas, who would have taken large 
numbers of prisoners if the men had not been kept in ranks so 
strictly. In this march of twenty-seven miles they began to 
get very footsore, and it was distressing to see them hobbling 
along, begrimed with dust and perspiration, their tongues 
almost lolling out from excessive thirst. Stagnant pools, on 
whose borders lay decomposing horses or mules, and which 
living animals would not touch, were gladly resorted to by the 
men in passing ; but as they were compelled to run in order to 
overtake their commands, after drinking, they paid dearly for 
even this sorry luxury. 

Manassas Junction was at last reached about two o'clock in 
the morning, and the weary troops were instructed to lie down 
until seven. Punctually at seven the column started for Cen- 
treville, the sun as scorching- as ever, but water, fortunately, 
more plentiful. At Bull Run a brief halt was made for rest, 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 03 

which many of the officers and men improved by bathing in the 
stream. There was no longer any stench in the neighborhood, 
and the grass and grain, by their luxuriant growth, concealed 
the traces of the sanguinary conflicts of the preceding years. 

At eleven a.m. Centreville was reached, and the Bucktail 
Brigade encamped near two beautiful springs, which, after the 
trials of the three' days march, were more precious than gold. 
After a few hours' rest the men of the 150th were instructed to 
prepare for dress parade, and at six o'clock appeared on the 
field in all the glory of polished shoes, glittering arms, and 
well-ordered uniforms, to exhibit their skill in the manual to a 
larger gathering of spectators than they had ever before known. 
Captain Widdis held command. 

Probably no other regiment in the Left Grand Division 
(First, Third, and Eleventh Corps, commanded by General 
Reynolds) held dress parade that evening. 

On the morning of the 17th the troops were again in motion, 
heading towards Edwards Ferry, on the Potomac; but the 
course was changed en route, and the column proceeded to 
Herndon Station, on the Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad. 
Here Major Chamberlin was detailed to post the pickets of 
the First Corps and take charge of the line for the night, with 
instructions to keep a sharp lookout for Mosby and his men, 
who were reported to be in the vicinity. A single alarm oc- 
curred about midnight, caused probably by the movement of 
some wild animal through the bushes, which flatly declined to 
halt and give the countersign. 

On the 1 8th the First Corps moved up four miles, to Broad 
Run, and encamped in the open fields. The sound of artillery 
was heard during the day in two directions, indicating cavalry 
encounters in the passes of the mountains. 

In a letter of about this date Lieutenant-Colonel Huide- 
koper says, " We are near the Potomac . . . waiting for some 
definite movement of Lee's army. The raids into McConnells- 



104 O^^ HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

ville, Gettysburg, and Chambersburg have been extremely 
pleasing to us, as we think it will aid the draft and arouse the 
people once more. . . . The men have found a flock of sheep, 
which are fast disappearing. We do not see them, as we are 
writing or reading." 

About the same time officers of his staff reported General 
Reynolds (whom they were in the habit of terming " the old 
man") to be very much preoccupied and in anything but an 
amiable mood. Doubtless the uncertainty of the military sit- 
uation worried him, or, foreseeing Lee's intentions more clearly 
than other commanders, he chafed under an inaction which he 
feared might have ruinous consequences. 

The writer, who had the good fortune to enjoy the notice 
and, to some extent, the friendship of General Reynolds from 
the time he took command of the First Brigade of the Penn- 
sylvania Reserve, cannot refrain from expressing his admira- 
tion of that distinguished officer and testifying to his many 
good qualities. To those who knew little of him he may at 
times have appeared stern and unnecessarily exacting; but 
those who in the course of their duty were frequently brought 
near him, and knew him more intimately, soon found that be- 
neath a cold and somewhat haughty exterior was hidden a 
personality of wonderful attraction, and that he was not with- 
out those traits which inspire friendship and invite confidence. 
His whole life had been that of a soldier, and, being unwedded, 
his ruling passion seemed to be devotion to his country and 
his calling. From the very outset he appeared to grasp the 
magnitude of our civil struggle, and the prospect of years of 
conflict and endless flow of blood and treasure doubtless helped 
to leave on his countenance an impress of seriousness which 
was often mistaken for unbending severity. Recognizing to the 
fullest extent his own responsibility as a commander, he looked 
for an equal measure of earnestness on the part of both superiors 
and subordinates ; and while he was chary of commendation 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. IO5 

for duty well performed, believing that the government had a 
right to the best efforts of all its servants, he never criticised or 
condemned without ample cause. 

An instance of his natural kindness was observed by the 
writer near Belle Plain, in April, 1863, when, in returning from 
a review of Wadsworth's division, and galloping with some 
scores of officers in a breezy ride across the country, the gen- 
eral had the misfortune to crowd a private soldier off a bank 
into a sunken road eight feet below. The man was thrown 
headlong, but not hurt in the slightest, for Virginia mud is 
very soft; but the general, instantly turning his horse's head, 
leaped into the road and, expressing his profound regret at the 
occurrence, inquired most feelingly of the soldier whether he 
was injured. On being assured that no damage was done, the 
general drew out his pocket-book, and handing the man a five- 
dollar bill, begged him to believe that the matter was purely 
accidental. Then, touching his cap in soldierly fashion, he 
hastened to rejoin the cavalcade. 

Although the serious lines of his face rarely unbent in a 
smile, the general was not without a keen appreciation of humor. 
One day, on this very march towards Gettysburg, when the 
150th was moving left in front at the head of the column, and 
the men were so much exhausted that some of them were fall- 
ing to the rear, Private Rodearmel (better known as " Rody"), 
of Company B, called out to his captain, — 

" Captain Jones, we're left in front, aren't we ?" 

■' Yes, Rody ; why?" 

" Because if we don't soon get a rest, I'm thinking most of 
us will be left bc/iind." 

General Reynolds, who, with his staff, was immediately in 
advance of Captain Jones's company, heard the witty sally, and 
almost immediately ordered a halt; whereupon " Rody," figura- 
tively patting himself on the back, remarked, " Well, boys, the 
general and I have given you a rest, anyhow." 



I06 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

On the 2 1st the adjutant writes, " We are under orders to be 
ready to march at any moment. There is heavy firing towards 
Aldie, where Meade is. Sickles is about six miles from him, 
and we are about five miles farther back. We seem to be 
pounding away heavily, and I suppose our corps will be sent 
for, if needed. We think now that most of the enemy's force 
is in the Shenandoah Valley. . . . All the regiment is in fine 
order here, — much better than in that pestilential place, Fal- 
mouth and its vicinity. Beckwith is sick and is to go to the 
Georgetown Hospital." 

On the 22d he continues, " We have just received news that 
the firing we heard yesterday was a very successful attack of 
our cavalry under Pleasonton, supported by Barnes's division of 
Meade's corps, on the rebel cavalry under Stuart. We learn 
that they drove them from Upperville to Snicker's Gap, taking 
many prisoners, two cannon, and three caissons. . . . We were 
inspected this afternoon and made a fine appearance. Did you 
see in the Trihtnc, some two or three weeks since, a letter from 
Sheppard, the correspondent for our army, in which the 150th 
is mentioned with special honor for beautiful appearance, in 
dress parade particularly ?" 

On the 25th of June, refreshed by a week's idling, the First 
Corps broke camp and marched to Barnesville, crossing the 
Potomac on pontoons about noon, and passing through Pooles- 
ville on the way. A heavy rain set in towards evening and 
the troops had a bad night of it, — all the more dismal from 
their inability to cook supper, and the incessant braying of 
some hundreds of mules belonging to the wagon trains which 
were parked close by. 

Next morning the march was resumed in clearing weather, 
and of necessity foregoing the temptation to indulge in ripe 
cherries, which abounded on every hand, the column passed 
over Sugar Loaf Mountain and bivouacked near Jeffersonville, 
having made a distance of fifteen miles. Soon after leaving 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 107 

Barnesville, the 150th overtook a straggler from a New York 
regiment, who, forgetful of the strict order which had been 
issued in regard to keeping in ranks, was plodding leisurely 
along, diligently munching cherries plucked from a tree by the 
way-side. "Why are you not with your regiment?" asked 
Colonel Wister. The youth made an impudent reply, when 
the colonel's sword flashed in the air, and in a moment would 
have descended on the head of the offender, if he had not fallen 
on his knees and begged for mercy. The colonel administered 
a sharp reproof, and at his bidding the straggler started on the 
double-quick to overtake his command. 

At six A.M. on the 27th the troops passed through Jefferson- 
ville, and, notwithstanding the early hour, witnessed a cheering 
demonstration of loyalty. The entire population — old and 
young — was gathered in the main street, waving miniature 
flags, and the ladies were profuse in their bows and smiles. 
Regiment after regiment, as they came up, rent the air with 
hurrahs in acknowledgment of this friendly disposition. 
Reaching Middletown after an easy march of seven miles, the 
corps rested in the fields for the remainder of the day, and 
many a poor farmer in the neighborhood witnessed with dis- 
may the rapid disappearance of his fences. 

At this period the regiment was very short of line-officers. 
Captains Fay, Reisinger, Bell, and Pine, and Lieutenants Fisher 
and Beckwith were sick, and either absent or unfit for duty, 
while Captain Widdis and Lieutenant Keyser were seriously 
indisposed, leaving but twelve present in the line. Lieutenant 
Keyes resigned on the 17th of June. 

On Sunday, June 28, the column moved at four in the 
morning, and, crossing the Catoctin Range, reached Frederick 
at eight p.m. Here the news was spread that General Hooker 
had retired from the command of the army, and that General 
Meade had succeeded him in the position. The change created 
no especial enthusiasm in the 150th, which retained its confi- 



I08 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

dence in its old commander, and was averse to " swapping 
horses in the middle of a stream." Beyond the reasonable 
pride which every Pennsylvanian felt in having a Pennsylvanian 
at the head of the Army of the Potomac, it is doubtful whether 
the announcement afforded any satisfaction to the Bucktail 
Brigade, which, in its unchanging devotion, was ready to do 
its best under any commander. 

At five o'clock on the following morning the First Corps 
left Frederick, and marching through Lewistown, Mechanics- 
town, Franklinville, and Emmittsburg, encamped on high 
ground beyond the last-named place about seven o'clock in 
the evening. Twenty-six miles were accomplished that day, 
and although the road was heavy in places, on account of the 
almost continuous rains of a week, such was the buoyant feel- 
ing in the ranks at the thought of approaching the border of a 
" free" State, that the troops gave less evidence of fatigue than 
on any of the previous marches. It was a veritable " triumphal 
progress." In passing through the towns and villages, whose 
streets were lined with welcoming people, the colors were un- 
furled, the bands and drum-corps struck up, and quickly taking 
the step, with muskets at a shoulder, the regiments treated the 
delighted citizens to an exhibition scarcely less stately and im- 
pressive than a grand review. At Mechanicstown several young 
ladies appeared in dresses made of the national colors, waving 
diminutive flags, and were enthusiastically cheered. Coffee, tea, 
and milk were tendered to the men as they passed, and fresh 
bread, cakes, and pies easily found the way into their capacious 
haversacks. All that blessed day the hills and woods resounded 
with patriotic lays which were taken up by regiment after regi- 
ment, until the whole army seemed to have been metamorphosed 
into a vast singing society. 

Soon after the corps came to a halt for the night, some 
practical joker quietly spread the report that the Mother 
Superior of the convent in the outskirts of the town had in- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. IO9 

vited all the commissioned officers to a reception, with suitable 
refreshments, to be held in the main building of the institution 
that evening. Most of those who heard the story instantly 
recognized its absurdity ; but not a few were foolish enough to 
go back to the town and prowl around the convent, which of 
course they found shrouded in darkness. 

On the 30th the First Corps advanced three or four miles to 
Marsh Creek, and was put in position to receive an attack, if 
any part of Lee's army should be in the neighborhood. The 
150th occupied a wood on the left of the Emmittsburg road, 
the foliage sheltering it from the rain which fell intermittently 
during the day. The night, contrary to expectation, passed 
quietly, and the troops enjoyed an undisturbed rest, little 
dreaming of the draft that would be made on their courage 
and endurance on the morrow. 



no ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER XIV. 

GETTYSBURG — FIRST DAY. 

On the morning of July i the officers of the regiment cast 
about rather anxiously for the wherewithal to " piece out" a 
breakfast, having lost touch, for two or three days with the 
wagons of the commissary department. Captain Sigler and a 
lieutenant or two formally asked permission to send out to buy 
a sheep, but as there was a prospect of an early movement, this 
could not be accorded, and they had to be satisfied with the 
regulation coffee and hard-tack. The field and staff fared no 
better. 

The First Division (Wadsworth's) was started towards Get- 
tysburg at or before eight o'clock, and the Third (Rowley's, — 
General Doubleday being in command of the corps) was put on 
foot about nine, but for some reason — probably the withdrawal 
of., the pickets and the bringing up of the Second Division 
(Robinson's) — did not move until half or three-quarters of an 
hour later. It then marched rapidly over the Emmittsburg road, 
incited to unusual effort by the frequent boom of field-pieces at 
a distance of some miles in front. The morning was bright, 
after an early drizzle, but intensely sultry, the air being charged 
with moisture, and the men quickly felt the weight of their 
campaigning outfit, and perspired as they had rarely perspired 
before. On either hand long stretches of golden grain and 
luxuriant growths of corn looked beautiful in the sunlight, and 
it was hard to believe that this armed host was approaching 
the scene of a battle. Soon, however, citizens were met driving 
cattle and horses before them in search of a safe retreat ; and 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. Ill 

when, a little later, two children — a boy and a girl — rode past 
on one horse, crying as if their little hearts would break, it was 
painfully apparent that the miseries of war had penetrated to 
this hitherto quiet pastoral region. 

A mile or two below Gettysburg, on the Emmittsburg pike, 
a staff-officer met the head of the column with instructions to 
hasten the march, and diverted it from the road into the fields, 
where the division took the double-quick and maintained it 
until it reached the ground a little to the south and west of the 
theological seminary. The exertion proved too great for many 
of the men, and quite a number of the 150th were compelled 
to fall out of the ranks. Captain Dougal, of Company D, the 
largest and most corpulent officer in the regiment, found him- 
self unequal to the telling pace, and, having asked permission 
to drop behind, was instructed to gather up the stragglers and 
bring them to the front, — an order which he executed most 
satisfactorily. 

When the troops were halted near the seminary, Generals 
Doubleday and Rowley, who with portions of their staffs sat 
upon their horses at that point, addressed a few words of encour- 
agement to the several regiments, reminding them that they 
were upon their own soil, that the eye of the commonwealth 
was upon them, and that there was every reason to believe they 
would do their duty to the uttermost in defence of their State. 
Meanwhile, shells were flying overhead from rebel batteries be- 
yond the ridge to the west, and there was no longer any doubt 
that there would be trying work that day. The untimely death 
of General Reynolds had already been whispered to many of the 
officers, and soon became known in the ranks, occasioning a feel- 
ing of profound sorrow; for, whatever views individuals may 
have had of his temperament and bearing, all recognized in him 
one of the ablest and most skilful commanders in the Army of 
the Potomac, and lamented his unfortunate taking-off Had he 
lived to guide and encourage his troops, though this first day's 



112 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

fight against vast odds might not have been entirely successful, 
it would certainly have been more brilliant in achievement. 

On receiving instructions where to post his regiment. Colonel 
Wister ordered knapsacks to be unslung and piled on the 
ground, and then gave the command, " Forward !" forgetting 
that the muskets were not loaded. Instantly a score of voices 
reminded him of the omission, and amid some merriment the 
loading was ordered. Then, with colors unfurled and full bat- 
talion front, the 150th moved rapidly westward to the brow of 
the hill overlooking the little valley of Willoughby Run, and 
occupied a part of the space between the wood on the left, in 
which the Iron Brigade lay, and the McPherson farm-buildings. 
The 149th and 143d Pennsylvania took position on the right, 
extending to the Chambersburg road. It was then about 
eleven o'clock, — possibly a little later. Of the 150th, the 
whole number present for duty, including seventeen field-, staff- 
and line-officers, together with the morning's stragglers, whom 
Captain Dougal brought up in good order, was — as nearly as 
could be ascertained — three hundred and ninety-seven. 

A number of dead and wounded lay scattered over the field 
some distance in the rear of the line, giving evidence of sharp 
work by Wadsworth's division before Rowley's arrival ; but 
beyond a fitful cannonading from rebel guns on the next paral- 
lel ridge westward, there was at this hour comparative quiet. 

Colonel Stone having ordered one company from each regi- 
ment of the brigade to be thrown forward as skirmishers. 
Company B of the 150th was detailed for this duty, and Captain 
Jones was instructed by Colonel Wister to " advance until he 
met the enemy, and engage him." Deploying his men after 
passing the brow of the hill, the captain speedily dislodged the 
rebel skirmishers from a fence some distance below, and posted 
his command advantageously on the line of Willoughby Run. 

During the lull which prevailed on the field, there was ample 
opportunity to observe the numbers and disposition of the 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 113 

enemy to the west, consisting of Heth's and Pender's divisions 
of A. P. Hill's corps, some of whose brigades were still arriving 
and moving in plain view into position south of the Chambers'^ 
burg road. While the Union line was but a skeleton, with 
noticeable gaps between the several brigades as well as between 
the regiments, the enemy was formed in continuous double 
lines of battle, extending southward as far as the accidents of 
the ground permitted the eye to reach, with heavy supporting 
columns in the rear. It was a beautiful spectacle, but their 
preponderance in force was so obvious that the Union troops 
might have predicted the certainty of their own defeat, if they 
had not counted on the timely arrival of re-enforcements. 

An incident which occurred about mid-day did much to create 
good feeling and stimulate the courage of the regiment. While 
watching and waiting, the attention of some of the men was 
called to an individual of rather bony frame and more than 
average stature who approached from the direction of the town, 
moving with a dehberate step, carrying in his right hand a rifle 
at a " trail." At any time his figure would have been notice- 
able, but it was doubly so, at that moment, both on account of 
his age, which evidently neared threescore and ten, and the 
peculiarity of his dress. The latter consisted of dark trousers 
and waistcoat, a blue " swallow-tail" coat with brass buttons, 
and a high black silk hat, from which most of the original 
sheen had long departed, of a shape to be found only in the 
fashion-plates of a remote past. Presumably on account of 
the heat, no neck-wear of any kind relieved the bluish tint of 
his clean-shaven face and chin. As his course brought him 
opposite the rear of the left battalion, he first met Major Cham- 
berlin and asked, " Can I fight with your regiment?" The 
major answered affirmatively, but seeing Colonel Wister ap- 
proaching, added, " Here is our colonel ; speak to him." 

" Well, old man, what do you want ?" demanded Colonel 
Wister. 



I 14 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

" I want a chance to fight with your regiment." 

" You do ? Can you shoot ?" 

" Oh, yes ;" and a smile crept over the old man's face which 
seemed to say, " If you knew that you had before you a soldier 
of the war of 18 12, who fought with Scott at Lundy's Lane, 
you would not ask such a question." 

" I see you have a gun, but where is your ammunition ?" 

For answer, he slapped his disengaged hand on his trousers 
pockets, which were bulging out with cartridges. 

" Certainly you can fight with us," said the colonel, " and I 
wish there were many more like you." 

He then advised him to go into the woods on the left, to the 
line of the Iron Brigade, where he would be more sheltered 
from sun and bullets, with an equal chance of doing good exe- 
cution. With apparent reluctance, as if he preferred the open 
field, he moved towards the woods, and history has written the 
name of John Burns — for it was he — in the roll of the nation's 
heroes, and his deeds of that day are inseparably linked with 
the glories of Gettysburg! 

Colonel Stone, observing the approach of a rebel force from 
the north, promptly changed the position of a portion of the 
brigade to meet an attack from that direction. Leaving the 
left wing of the 149th to occupy McPherson's lane, facing west, 
the right wing was faced to the north on the Chambersburg 
road, the regiment thus forming a right angle, while the 143d 
continued the line eastwardly on the same road. A little later, 
a rebel battery which had established itself on Oak Hill opened 
fire, enfilading the line of the left battalion of the 149th and 
also the 150th; whereupon the former was thrown forward, 
uniting with the right wing on the Chambersburg road and 
facing north, while the 150th was ordered by Colonel Wister, 
who saw no immediate threat of an attack from the west, to 
move to the shelter of the McPherson barn. Just as the move- 
ment began a shell exploded in the midst of Company C, kill- 



PENNSYLIANIA VOLUNTEERS. II5 

ing two men and dangerously, if not fatally, wounding several 
others. At that very moment Dennis Buckley, a private of 
Company H, 6th Michigan Cavalry, who had lost his mount 
in the earlier encounters of the day, presented himself, carbine 
in hand, and received permission from the major to join the 
ranks of the regiment. Seeing the misfortune which had be- 
fallen Lieutenant Perkins's command, he said, " That is the 
company for me," and, hurrying forward, overtook it and per- 
formed manly service throughout the afternoon. 

While the regiment enjoyed the protection afforded by the 
barn. Captain Jones was hotly skirmishing on the banks of 
the run, and several of his men soon came back in a disabled 
condition, among them Sergeant Kolb and Corporal Buchanan. 
This was too much for Lieutenant Chancellor, of the same 
company, who had that morning been assigned to the com- 
mand of Company G, none of whose officers were present for 
duty. He at once begged to be allowed to join the skirmishers, 
and pleaded with such warmth that his request was finally 
granted. At the instant of starting forward one of his men 
fell dead, pierced by a bullet from beyond the road. Finding 
the skirmish line sufficiently manned, Lieutenant Chancellor 
remained for a time in reserve and then returned to his proper 
place. 

In its position on the Chambersburg turnpike the 149th was 
exposed to a destructive fire from a rebel battery to the west, 
and with a view to draw the fire away from the men, its colors 
were detached and planted on the eastern edge of a wheat- 
field a little beyond the left flank of the regiment and some- 
what to the front, where the color-bearers and guards sheltered 
themselves behind a pile of rails. 

Colonel Stone, in his official report, mentions half-past one p.m. 
as the hour of Early's attack on the Union line north of the pike, 
and says of the formation of the enemy, " It appeared to be a 
nearly continuous double line of deployed battalions, with other 



Il6 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

battalions en masse as reserv^es. Their line being formed not 
parallel, but obliquely to ours, their left became first engaged 
with the troops on the northern prolongation of Seminary 
Ridge. The battalions engaged soon took, a position parallel 
to those opposed to them, thus causing a break in their lines, 
and exposing the flank of those engaged to the fire of my two 
regiments on the Chambersburg road. Though at the longest 
range of our pieces, we poured a most destructive fire upon 
their flanks, and with the fire upon their front scattered them 
over the field. A heavy force was then formed parallel to the 
Chambersburg pike and pressed forward to the attack of my 
position. Anticipating this, I had sent Colonel Dwight, with 
the 149th, forward to occupy a deep railroad cut about one 
hundred yards from the pike." 

Captain Bassler, of Company C, 149th Pennsylvania, says of 
Dwight's movement, "The order now came for our regiment 
to advance to the railroad cut, but Colonel Dwight, unfortu- 
nately, took lis across the cut into a very unfavorable position. 
On the right of the regiment, where the colonel was, the cut 
was comparatively shallow, but in the rear of the left and 
centre it was deep, and the banks, which were of aluminous 
shale, were steep and difficult to climb. 

" We were presently attacked by a strong line of the enemy 
(Daniels's North Carolina brigade of Rodes's division), and 
after firing a few rounds, the colonel, now fully realizing the 
danger of our position, gave the command, ' Retreat !' Com- 
panies A and F got through the cut easily enough, but the 
farther to. the left the deeper the cut. Some lost their hold 
when near the top and slid back again ; some were shot while 
climbing up ; some ran to the right to get out, and numbers on 
the left never got out, except as prisoners, for the enemy was 
upon them before they could clear the cut. 

" The consequence of all this was that the regiment got back 
to the pike in a very scattering order." 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. II7 

Colonel Wister, observing the movement of the 149th and 
the approach of Daniels's brigade, ordered the 150th to change 
front forward, to bring it into line with the other two regiments 
on the pike. This was effected quickly and with precision, and 
the regiment by an active fire assisted in checking the enemy's 
advance at the railroad cut. About this hour (between half-past 
one and two p.m.) Colonel Stone, who had ably directed the 
operations of his brigade, exposing himself fearlessly at all 
times, went forward a short distance to reconnoitre, when he 
received severe wounds in the hip and arm, which entirely dis- 
abled him. Colonel Wister succeeded him in the command, 
and Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper assumed charge of the 
regiment. 

A converging fire from rebel batteries west, north-west, and 
north now made the position of the 150th most uncomfortable. 
The projectiles from the enfilading guns to the west, near the 
Chambersburg road, were at times plainly visible in the air, but 
most of them struck the ground and ricocheted without ex- 
ploding. A marvellous escape from serious injury was that of 
Sergeant-Major Lyon, whose chest was grazed by a shell which 
tore away his clothing, discoloring the skin and causing intense 
pain, but without lacerating the flesh in the slightest. Others 
were severely wounded, whose names are not recalled. The 
fire of these batteries was much more accurate when some 
Union pieces went into service at the edge of the wood, near 
the right of the Iron Brigade, and ventured a response. Im- 
mediately the concentrated play of the enemy's guns necessi- 
tated a " shift," and after several changes of position in quick 
succession, the ground was abandoned as untenable. 

Daniels's brigade of North Carolinians, though twice driven 
from the immediate vicinity of the railroad cut, was persistent 
in returning to that line, and his sharp-shooters, from the con- 
venient shelter of the excavation, kept up a rapid and effective 
fire. The colors of the 149th. which still remained planted in 



Il8 ONE HUNDRED AND EIFTIETH 

the wheat-field in front of the right of the 150th, proved an 
irresistible attraction to the enterprising enemy. Suddenly a 
battalion, which had crossed the railroad bed beyond the deep 
cut without being discovered, appeared among the wheat with 
the evident intention of capturing the colors or striking the line 
of the brigade in flank and doubling it up. In an instant Colonel 
Wister ordered a charge of the 150th, and, drawing his sword, 
crossed the fence, calling upon the regiment to follow. Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Huidekoper repeated the command, and swiftly 
wheeled the three right companies — A, F, and D — to the left 
until they were within pistol-shot of the rebel line, which, after 
delivering a destructive fire, gave way and fled in confusion. 
Two or three volleys were poured into the retreating foe, after 
which Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper drew back the right 
companies to their former position. In this brief but suc- 
cessful encounter the companies named lost heavily, especially 
Company F, which numbered Private Northrup killed ; Privates 
Charles F. Gibson, John Boyer, and George W. Young mor- 
tally wounded ; and Sergeant John C. Kensil and Privates John 
K. Himes, F. M. James, John S. Weber, and George W. Bates 
all more or less seriously wounded. The severest loss sus- 
tained by the regiment in this charge was in the death of Lieu- 
tenant Charles P. Keyser, of Company B, temporarily serving 
with Company F. He was a young officer of great promise, 
who by his manly bearing and general efficiency had attracted 
the favorable notice of the field and staff, and by his many ad- 
mirable qualities had endeared himself to the entire command. 
Among others who were severely wounded on this occasion 
was Captain Dougal, of Company D, an officer held in the 
highest esteem by his superiors, and whose services could not 
easily be dispensed with. Adjutant Ashhurst relates that after 
conveying the order to charge to Lieutenant-Colonel Huide- 
koper, he himself joined in the movement, between D and F 
Companies, immediately alongside of Dougal, who was wounded 



PENNS Yf. VA NIA VOL UN TEEKS. I 1 9 

as he was turning around to draw his pistol, being near enough 
to the rebel line to use it with effect. 

A number of men of the 149th participated in the charge, 
and in returning to the line their color-guard brought back the 
colors of that regiment in safety. 

The centre and left wing of the 150th, being well down the 
slope of the hill towards Willoughby Run, did not hear the 
order to charge, and were at the time busily engaged in break- 
ing up a force which had gathered in the corner of a field be- 
yond the railroad bed, and, partially concealed by a fringe of 
bushes along the fence line, was obviously meditating a cross- 
ing, thus seriously menacing the left flank of the brigade. This 
body of men was completely scattered. As the enemy con- 
tinued in force beyond the railroad cut, north of the McPherson 
buildings, and his skirmishers maintained an annoying fire from 
that stronghold, Colonel Wister's next care was to order a 
charge of the 149th, which was led by Colonel Dwight, and 
resulted in driving Daniels's men well back from that line. 
After superintending this movement, and while returning to his 
position near the barn, Colonel Wister was shot through the 
mouth and face, and, although not actually disabled, found him- 
self incapacitated from giving further commands by the exces- 
sive flow of blood, and reluctantly yielded the active direction 
of the brigade to Colonel Dana, of the 143d. 

Between half-past two and three o'clock the rebel batteries 
began to increase the rapidity of their fire. A glance to the 
west showed the troops of Heth's and Pender's divisions in 
motion, descending rapidly towards Willoughby Run, regiment 
upon regiment en echelon, followed by supporting columns ex- 
tending southward from the Chambersburg road as far as the 
eye could reach. A change of front on the part of the 150th, 
to meet this new and apparently overwhelming danger, be- 
came at once imperative. With no undue excitement, and in 
thoroughly good order, the regiment wheeled back to its origi- 



120 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

nal position, facing the west, leaving, however, a large gap 
between the left flank and the woods, which it was impossible 
to fill. The movement occupied but a minute or two, but, 
under a searching fire from the old assailants north of the road, 
it was attended with some loss. Among those who were sin- 
gled out by the enemy's bullets was Major Chamberlin, who fell, 
dangerously wounded, some distance in front of the new line, 
and was brought back by volunteers from several companies, 
at great risk to their own lives and limbs. One of those who 
assisted in this trying office was disabled by a ball before the 
line was reached. The major was carried to the McPherson 
House. 

The 149th and 143d continued to face north. For some 
reason the strong force approaching from the west moderated 
its movement, as if awaiting developments on other portions of 
the field, and by the time it came within musket reach the 
150th was well established in its new position. By the advance 
of Heth's troops Captain Jones was forced back from the skir- 
mish line and borne considerably to the left, into the woods, 
where his company fought for a time as an independent com- 
mand, but eventually joined the ranks of the Iron Brigade. 
Suddenly — as if elsewhere something decisive, for which they 
had been waiting, had occurred — a large portion of Heth's 
command marched obliquely to the right and was soon hidden 
from view by the woods. 

The withdrawal of this force from its front gave the 150th a 
moment to breathe and listen to the sounds of conflict farther 
southward, where Biddle's brigade had been posted in the fields, 
slightly to the left and many rods to the rear of the prolonga- 
tion of the line of the Iron Brigade. The attack on Biddle 
necessitated a readjustment of the line on his right, and Mere- 
dith withdrew from his advanced position in the woods to one 
much less advantageous about two hundred yards farther back. 
By this change, of which the 150th was not immediately cogni- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 121 

zant, the gap between its left flank and the Iron Brigade was 
greatly widened and its exposure correspondingly increased. 

The lull in the fighting in the neighborhood of the McPher- 
son buildings was very brief. The rebel batteries soon reopened 
and played with an accelerated fire for some minutes, when 
Brockenbrough's brigade from the west, and Davis's and 
Daniels's brigades from the north-west and north, pushed in 
towards the barn and renewed the contest. 

The afternoon had worn on to about a quarter of three 
o'clock. The enemy drew closer and closer, firing and loading 
as he advanced, but was met by a resistance which time and 
again staggered him, though it could not shake him off. 
Greatly superior in numbers, he kept urging the attack, only 
to find the defence as stubborn as his own advance. If for a 
moment the line of the 150th bent backward a few steps, it 
promptly moved forward again at the word of command, 
forcing the enemy to recoil in turn. At last, by sheer weight, 
the thinned ranks of the regiment were pushed some rods to 
the rear, but without panic. To encourage his command, 
Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper instructed the color-bearer — 
Sergeant Phifer, of Company I, a man of large stature and 
boundless courage — to move forward with the colors. This 
he did without hesitation, in the face of a galling fire, and the 
line moved automatically with him. A storm of lead con- 
stantly sought the flag, and the color-guard especially bore 
witness to the accuracy of the rebel aim. Corporal Roe Reis- 
inger, of Company H, was disabled by three balls; Corporal 
Joseph J. Gutelius, of D, received a death-wound; and Cor- 
porals Samuel Barnes and Rodney Conner, of A and C respec- 
tively, were seriously injured. Sergeant Phifer fell, bleeding 
from a mortal shot, while proudly flaunting the colors in the 
face of the foe. This is undoubtedly the incident which drew 
from General A. P. Hill, who was approaching on the Cham- 
bersburg road, the expression of regret at the death of so brave 



122 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

a man, as detailed by an English officer in an article published 
soon after in Blackivood's Magazine. From the conformation 
of the ground and the situation of the McPherson buildings, 
no other Union color-bearer could well have been visible to 
General Hill at the time. 

A moment after the fall of Sergeant Phifer, Lieutenant- 
Colonel Huidekoper, who had previously been struck in the 
leg by a ball which cut to the bone, felt his right arm shattered 
by another missile, and was forced to visit the barn to obtain 
aid in bandaging his wounds. A little later Adjutant Ash- 
hurst was shot through the shoulder, and simultaneously a 
spent ball struck him on the shin, but failed to penetrate the 
heavy riding-boot which he wore at the time. The concus- 
sion, however, produced the liveliest pain, and lamed him for 
some days. Almost at the same moment a third ball broke 
the scabbard of his sword, showing the hotness of the rebel 
fire. He bravely kept the field in spite of these injuries, and 
rendered important service in the subsequent retreat. 

Lieutenant Chancellor, of Company B, was shot through 
the thigh a few moments after the adjutant was wounded, sus- 
taining a painful fracture, from the effects of which he died 
on the 7th of August. He had hardly passed the limits of 
boyhood, but in intelligence, courtesy, courage, and all the 
traits which constitute a useful and efficient officer, he had few 
superiors. 

In the same fierce encounter Captain Sigler, of Company I, 
was slightly wounded in the leg, but continued at his post; 
Lieutenant Perkins, commanding Company C, received a ball 
in the thigh ; and Lieutenant Sears, of Company F, was seri- 
ously injured in the leg, but clung to the front with a spirit 
which deserves commendation. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper, as soon as his broken arm 
could be hurriedly cared for, returned to the line, which con- 
tinued to be maintained in the face of discouraging odds; but 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 23 

pain and faintness from shock and loss of blood presently 
compelled him to retire. 

Nearly one-half of the original force of the regiment had 
now been killed or wounded, and scarcely an officer was left 
unharmed. The enemy was pressing in on all sides, even from 
the woods on the left, and the little brigade, .already beginning 
to feel the effects of a cross-fire, was in imminent danger of 
capture. At last, between half-past three and four o'clock. 
Lieutenant Dalgliesh, of the brigade staff, brought the order to 
withdraw; but as the regiment was fighting in two directions, 
with its line broken by the McPherson farm buildings, and the 
enemy at close quarters, it was impossible to execute the move- 
ment as one body, or with anything like regularity. Captain 
Widdis, as ranking line-officer, — to whom Lieutenant-Colonel 
Huidekoper had intrusted the command when forced by his 
wounds to leave the front, — should have conducted the retreat ; 
but in the face of the difficulties already outlined no military 
genius, perhaps, could have availed to bring the divided wings 
together and maintain a solid formation in retiring. Probably 
because his services were needed in that quarter. Captain 
Widdis seems to have been in the neighborhood of the barn 
when the retreat was ordered, and to have fallen back with a 
portion of those engaged at that point. 

Adjutant Ashhurst, to whom the men naturally looked for 
leadership in the absence of field- and the scarcity of line- 
officers, quickly grasped the situation, and, ignoring his painful 
wound, succeeded in holding together remnants of several com- 
panies, which fell back through the open ground towards the 
seminary, fighting as they went. Captain Sigler, also wounded, 
but less severely, assisted in the movement, and was ably 
seconded by Sergeant George Bell, of Company H, who had 
just been commissioned as second lieutenant, but had not yet 
been mustered. He well justified his promotion by his con- 
duct that day. At the very outset of the retreat. Private Isaac 



124 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

R. Martindell, of Company A, had his left arm shattered by a 
Minie-ball, necessitating amputation. 

Companies A, F, and D were mostly engaged in the vicinity 
of the barn, struggling in conjunction with the 149th against 
the increasing pressure from the north-west and north. Colonel 
Wister, although prevented by the lacerated and swollen con- 
dition of his mouth and face from again taking active command, 
had remained on the field, doing what he could by his presence 
and example to animate the men ; and, recognizing the diffi- 
culty of withdrawing this portion of the line, he undertook the 
dangerous task in person. In his effort to bring away not only 
the fighting men, but the numerous stragglers from different 
regiments who had on one pretext or another sought shelter 
in the barn, he delayed his own departure a moment too long, 
and found himself temporarily a prisoner. A considerable 
number of the 150th and 149th, much intermingled in the final 
struggle, retired under the guidance of Lieutenant-Colonel 
Dwight in a direction nearly parallel to the Chambersburg 
road. Others were headed off near the barn or house by the 
rapid closing in of the rebel lines on both sides, and captured. 
Captain Jones and his company, as already stated, had joined 
forces with the Iron Brigade, whose line ran north and south 
near the spot where Reynolds fell. Sergeant McGinley, of 
Company E, with a handful of men, retreating in that direc- 
tion, threw in his lot with the same command. 

The united groups of the 149th and 150th took advantage 
of every favorable spot to make a defensive stand, and gave 
and received severe punishment. At one point where a halt 
was made to support some guns which had not yet been re- 
tired, a number of 150th men were killed or wounded, among 
the former First Sergeant Weidensaul, of Company D, whose 
commission as second lieutenant had arrived only the previous 
day. Adjutant Ashhurst, seeing him bend over and press his 
hands to his body, as if in pain, called to him, " Are you 



FENNS \ L VA NIA VOL L 'NTEERS. I 2 5 

wounded?" " No," he replied, " killed !" and, half turning, fell 
dead. He was a brave soldier, in whom the military instinct 
had been strong from his early youth. 

Concerning the withdrawal from the McPherson place, Ad- 
jutant Ashhurst says, "-When Lieutenant Dalgliesh brought us 
the order to retreat, I do not remember seeing any officer 
higher in rank than myself on the line. I suppose Captain 
Sigler must have been there, as I saw him later near the semi- 
nary. He was probably at the extreme left and I at the right 
of the regiment. I gave the order to fall back. Bell, just pro- 
moted as lieutenant in Company H, protested to me against 
the retreat, saying, 'Adjutant, it is all damned cowardice; we 
have beaten them and will keep on beating them back !' At 
this time we could see the Iron Brigade on our left falling back 
by echelon of alternate battalions. I remember with me, at 
this moment, Lieutenant Sears, of F ; Bell, of H ; and Weiden- 
saul, of D. When we reached the seminary we found a battery 
to its right in an orchard or grove. As we came up the officers 
of the battery ran out to us and begged us to make a stand 
and save the guns. I hardly thought it possible, but Colonel 
Dwight, who was with me, joined me in an appeal to the 149th 
and 150th for one last effort, and they gallantly responded. 
We kept the enemy at bay until, after a few more volleys, the 
guns were limbered up and moved off We did not leave our 
position until the officers of the battery told Dwight and my- 
self it was safe, and they would not ask us to remain longer. 
I remember with me at this time Captain Sigler, Lieutenant 
Sears, and Lieutenant Bell." 

The battery referred to by Adjutant Ashhurst was one of 
several which Colonel Wainwright, chief of artillery of the 
First Corps, had put in position near the seminary, when it 
became evident that the advanced line was being sorely pressed 
and must soon fall back. Here the retiring regiments — most 
of them in a more or less disorganized state — made a final 



126 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Stand behind hastily improvised breastworks of rails. This line, 
which was the last to be seriously defended, was attacked by 
the converging forces of the enemy about four o'clock. For 
some time their advance was disputed with success, and the 
artillery especially, at short range, did good execution. But 
both flanks of the defence were " in the air," and against the 
overwhelming odds a long-continued resistance would have 
been suicidal, exposing the thinned battalions to destruction or 
capture. Besides, the two divisions of the Eleventh Corps 
which had battled ineffectually against Ewell's heavier columns 
north of the town, were already in retreat, rendering Double- 
day's situation still more precarious. The latter accordingly 
ordered a withdrawal to Cemetery Hill. Already the artillery 
had lingered too long, and in getting away was exposed to the 
fire of the enemy's sharp-shooters. The remnants of the 149th 
and 1 50th came in very opportunely on the northerly side of the 
field, which still remained comparatively open, to assist a New 
York battery out of its trouble. Of the infantry, the southern 
portion of the line, moving by the lower branch of the Hagers- 
town road, which forks near the seminary, was comparatively 
undisturbed and reached the town in fair order ; but the portions 
of regiments constituting the northerly end of the line naturally 
sought escape in the direction of the Chambersburg pike and 
the railroad embankment, where their chances of success were 
diminished by the swift approach of swarms of rebel skirmishers, 
supported by well-ordered lines of infantry. Under such con- 
ditions it was impossible to maintain a proper formation or 
make a serious show of resistance. The larger portion reached 
the town in safety, but a few officers and a considerable number 
of men of Stone's and other brigades were cut off before reach- 
ing the shelter of the houses, and made prisoners. Captain 
Gimber, of Company F, unwisely undertook to cross the garden 
of the seminary, but before he could clear the second fence, 
was brought to a stand-still by menacing bayonets. Even 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 127 

those who found themselves in the closely built streets of the 
town were not beyond danger, as some of these were already 
occupied by Ewell's troops, who had followed up the retreat of 
the Eleventh Corps with great celerity, and kept firing at the 
fugitives wherever seen. Captain Widdis and Lieutenants Car- 
penter and Chatburn were taken in or near the town. Many 
hair-breadth escapes were made by leaping fences, traversing 
gardens, or passing through shops and dwellings, in order to 
reach streets to which the pursuit had not yet penetrated. 

Of this final stage of the retreat Adjutant Ashhurst says, " By 
the long pause near the seminary so much time had been lost 
that the enemy was pouring in on both sides of us, and it was 
impossible longer to keep much order, particularly as we found 
ourselves mingled with a crowd of fugitives from another direc- 
tion. Many of the men, to get out of the fire of some batteries 
playing from the north upon us, went too far over, to gain the 
shelter of the railway embankment, and were thus captured. 
When I reached the houses the enemy was so close upon us 
that I found it my only chance of escape to climb over fences 
and cross private grounds, so as to get into another street. 
Here I found the Second Division retreating up the street, and 
was fortunate enough to get into an ambulance which was the 
last representative of our troops coming from that direction. 
From the back of the ambulance we could see the rebel skir- 
mishers coming down the street towards us, firing upon us as 
they came. One wounded man was killed in the ambulance 
while I was in it. There was an officer bringing up the retreat, 
and the ambulance driver kept just behind him, so as to screen 
him from fire by interposing the white cover of the vehicle. 
The ambulance drove up within the line on Cemetery Ridge, 
where I found Colonel Dana in command of the remnants of 
our force, reported to him, and by his direction went to an im- 
provised field hospital, where my wound was dressed, after 
which I obtained his permission to go to the rear." 



128 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Captain Jones, who by following the more southerly route, 
where the Hagerstown road forks, had been able to keep his 
company in column, relates that in hurrying through the town 
he received a peremptory order to halt from a rebel field-officer 
riding at the head of a regiment which was rapidly approach- 
ing on an intersecting street, when Private Terence O'Connor, 
of his company, by a well-aimed shot, brought the officer to 
the ground, O'Connor coolly remarking, " We take no orders 
from the likes of you !" 

In this too long deferred movement from the seminary to 
Cemetery Hill, which for a part of the line necessarily partook 
more of the nature of a scramble for safety than a retreat, one 
of the standards of the 150th was lost. This was naturally a 
source of deep regret to the regiment, which, however, could 
not reproach itself with any neglect of its colors or lack of 
courage in their defence, having maintained its position for 
hours in the face of superior numbers, losing nearly one-half 
of its original force in killed or wounded. Moreover, scarcely 
a commissioned officer was left unhurt, and at the time of the 
final retreat from the vicinity of the seminary many of the 
streets of the town were already invaded by the enemy, making 
the escape of any considerable portion of the command ex- 
tremely problematical. 

For many years the belief prevailed in the regiment that at the 
time of its capture the flag was in the hands of Corporal Gute- 
lius, of Company D, who had been severely wounded, but per- 
sisted in retaining the colors, and was shot dead while resting 
for a moment on a door-step in the town. The story was told 
with such circumstantiality by one of his comrades (who claimed 
to have witnessed the occurrence), and remained so long un- 
contradicted, that it was generally accepted as. true. 

In letters written at St. Joseph, Missouri, dated August 11 
and 30, 1889, Corporal Rodney Conner, of Company C, who 
was one of the color-guard, states that when Sergeant Phifer 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 129 

was killed, Corporal Samuel Gilmore, of Company C, first took 
the colors, but that he himself, although suffering from a 
Minie-ball in his side, relieved him of them, and carried them 
through the rest of the fight. In the letter of August 1 1 he 
says, "As we were going through the town, and just when I 
was opposite the stone-yard (Flaharty's, at the north-east corner 
of Washington and High Streets), a column of rebels came 
charging down a cross-street and cut off about a hundred men 
with me. A rebel captain seized the colors from my hand, and 
the next minute he went down. Another officer went to him, 
and he gave him the colors and told him to present them to 
President Davis, with his compliments." 

In the letter of August 30, after repeating substantially the 
foregoing statement, he adds, " I have always felt so humiliated 
at having the colors taken- from me that I have tried to forget 
it." He expresses his willingness to make oath to the truth of 
what he writes, and, although some inaccuracies and confusion 
of incident in his narrative make corroborative evidence desira- 
ble, it is only fair to presume that he would not lay claim to the 
doubtful distinction of having lost the flag, if his version of the 
affair were not correct. 

This stand of colors was duly transmitted by Governor 
Vance, of North Carolina, to the President of the Confederacy, 
accompanied by a letter in which the governor stated that it 
had been " captured from a Pennsylvania regiment, which Lieu- 
tenant [the name is no longer recalled] had put to flight 

with a handful of sharp-shooters !" It was found with Jefferson 
Davis's baggage, when he was made a prisoner in 1865, and 
was held by the Secretary of War until October 25, 1869, when 
it was forwarded to the Adjutant-General of Pennsylvania, and 
is now preserved, with other similar relics of the war, in the 
capitol at Harrisburg. 

By five o'clock the troops of the First Corps were in position 
on Cemetery Hill, to the left and a little to the rear of Stein- 

9 



130 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

wehr's division. Of the 150th, eighty-six were present, includ- 
ing Captain Jones and Lieutenant Kilgore, the only remaining 
commissioned officers. The 149th was reduced in about the 
same proportion, having fought side by side with the 150th on 
the same unequal terms. 

In the many published accounts of the battle, scanty justice 
has been accorded to General Doubleday for the part he took 
in the engagement of the first day. Coming upon the field 
without knowledge of what had already taken place, upon him, 
by the death of the lamented Reynolds, suddenly devolved the 
assignment and direction of the troops; and but for his prompt 
and able dispositions, and the magnificent stand made by every 
portion of his line, retarding the enemy's advance until the 
afternoon was nearly spent. Cemetery Ridge might not have 
been the scene of the Union defence'on the following days, and 
Gettysburg might not have witnessed .the victory which proved 
to be the turning-point of the war. 

Before nightfall of the ist the Twelfth Corps had arrived and 
taken position, and the Third was reported near at hand, so that 
the sorely tried forces who had borne the burden of the day 
were able to repose on their arms with some sense of security. 




Captain Horatio Bell. 

, Company G. 

(Killed at Wilderness, May 6, 1864.) 





First Lieutenant Hknky Chancellor. 

Company B. 

(Mortally wounded at Gettysburg, July i, 1863,' 



Second Lieutenant Chas. P. Keyseu 

Company A. 

(Killed at Gettysburg, July i, 1S63.) 




Second Lieutenant Elias B. Weidensai'l. 

Company D. 

(Killed at Gettysburg, July i, 1863.) 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLljNTEERS. 13I 



CHAPTER XV. 

GETTYSBURG, TO A FINISH, 

On the morning of the 2d, which opened with a drizzling 
rain, several missing men came in, and George A. Dixon, of 
Company A, and three or four others having arrived from 
Camp Convalescent the evening before, the aggregate for duty 
was increased to one hundred and nine. After the fighting 
began the regiment was posted, with the rest of the brigade, in 
support of some batteries on Cemetery Hill, and some of the 
men assisted in passing the ammunition, as the artillery was 
short-handed. About six p.m. the brigade was double-quicked 
to the left, down the Taneytown road, halting at the right of 
the Third Corps, where the situation was at the time alarming. 
Humphreys's division had been forced back from its advanced 
position at and beyond the Emmittsburg road, and the rebels 
were making a bold push to gain possession of Cemetery Ridge 
at this point and on the left of Hancock's (Second) corps. The 
brigade formed line of battle in rear of Humphreys, and bayo- 
nets were fixed for a charge ; but the enemy was repulsed by 
the front line, and the order to charge was withheld. A little 
later the 149th and 150th were ordered to advance to the Em- 
mittsburg road and develop the enemy's position. Deploying 
as skirmishers, with the 149th in support, the 150th moved 
forward, and presently secured two guns which had been taken 
by the enemy during the afternoon. General Doubleday, in 
his official report, after mentioning the recovery of four guns 
of a regular battery by a portion of the 13th Vermont, adds^ 
" Shortly afterwards I sent out the 149th and 150th Regiments 
Pennsylvania Volunteers, who sent in two additional guns 



132 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

taken from the enemy, after a short and spirited engagement 
close to his line of battle." 

The regiment continued its advance in the growing darkness 
until the right impinged on the Emmittsburg road, a little to 
the left of the Codori House, when it was fired upon, and after 
exchanging a ^\&\v rounds, fell back by order. Under fresh in- 
structions, the two regiments remained on the field as pickets, 
again advancing until the right of the line rested on the Em- 
mittsburg road. At dawn of the 3d the 150th was subjected 
to a sharp fire of shells from two guns posted in an orchard to 
the left front, which was continued at intervals until the pickets 
were relieved. In returning to the lines, between seven and 
eight o'clock, the regiment moved left in front, and Company A 
suffered severely from the artillery fire, losing Privates Thomas 
P. Boyce and Joseph F. Durborrow, killed, and Alfred Lees, 
mortally wounded. On reaching the position assigned the 
regiment in line, Sergeant Evans, of Company F, and several 
others were wounded by an exploding shell. 

The cannonade which preceded Pickett's charge, in the after- 
noon, is remembered by all who were exposed to it as some- 
thing fearful and altogether unexampled. While it was in 
progress the 150th was joined on the right by a detachment 
of Berdan's sharp-shooters, and when the assaulting column 
struck the Union line, these and the right companies of the 
regiment found themselves sufficiently unmasked by the troops 
in front to open an effective fire and assist in the final repulse. 

It is not the aim of this history to try to give a full account 
of this battle, or of any of the prominent actions of the Army 
of the Potomac, as that has been done exhaustively by men of 
military training who were associated with that army, and 
whose own deeds are an important part of the record. The 
scope of this work is more modest, restricting itself to a 
simple, straightforward narrative of the part taken by the 
150th in the several campaigns in which it shared. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 33 

With the decisive repulse of Pickett's ill-fated column, which 
had endeavored to pierce the left centre of the Union line on 
the afternoon of the 3d, the battle of Gettysburg was over. 
Whether it should have ended here is a matter which ever 
since has been the subject of much controversy. The writer, 
who, with other wounded Union officers, was within the 
enemy's lines, at the seminary, on that eventful day, and im- 
proved each opportunity to converse with members of Lee's 
and Ewell's staffs, can testify to the confident — almost exultant 
— tone of the latter up to the moment of the general advance 
which marked the beginning of Pickett's hopeless undertaking. 
Not one of these officers, when courteously interrogated on 
the subject, hesitated to fix the number of Lee's forces at 
ninety thousand or upwards, or to declare that at a given hour 
they would simply " walk over" Meade's army. The time for 
this boasted performance was unaccountably delayed ; and 
when in the' twilight the rebel lines fell back to Seminary 
Ridge, their movement was characterized by such an appear- 
ance of alarm, and such obvious confusion, that the Union 
wounded in and near the seminary were in no doubt as to the 
result of the fight, and looked with confidence for a counter- 
movement on the part of Meade. For half an hour bedlam 
reigned in the neighborhood. Fences were torn down, out- 
buildings demolished, board-walks knocked to pieces, and 
everything seized upon that could contribute to the formation 
of breastworks behind which to resist an expected advance of 
the Union army. If a strong column of such troops as were 
least engaged on Cemetery Hill had been pushed forward vig- 
orously to the attack at that moment, there is reason" to believe 
that resistance would have been short-lived, and the rebel lines 
would have melted away in hasty effort to reach and cross 
the Potomac. General Meade, however, best knew the condi- 
tion and capabilities of his own forces, and his signal success 
in resisting the determined assaults of a hitherto victorious 



134 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

enemy, equally strong, if not superior, in men and guns, 
should perhaps free him from criticism — certainly from cen- 
sure — if in his best judgment he decided to "let well enough 
alone." Still, there are many who, recalling what other great 
generals accomplished under similar conditions, will not cease 
to regret that no immediate effort was made to deliver a crush- 
ing return blow. 

On the night of the 3d the retreat of the rebels began, 
Ewell's division vacating the town and taking position with the 
rest of Lee's forces behind Seminary Ridge, while the ambu- 
lance and supply trains were hurried off by the Chambersburg 
turnpike and Hagerstown road towards Waynesborough. On 
the morning of the 4th the bands of the Union army, which had 
been silent for some days, broke the stillness of the battle- 
field, and the sweet strains of the " Star-Spangled Banner," 
" Hail Columbia," and other national airs, penetrating to the 
enemy's lines, must have been as depressing to them as they 
were inspiriting to the federal ranks. On that day Adjutant 
Ashhurst, who had been hospitably received and cared for at 
the farm-house of a Mr. Bushman, succeeded in visiting the 
front, where he found Captain Jones in command of the little 
remnant of the regiment, and, to his surprise, met also Captain 
Pine, who had arrived only that morning, having started from 
the hospital at the first news of the battle. The adjutant made 
strenuous efforts on the 2d and 3d to reach the command, but 
without avail, pain and excessive weakness from loss of blood 
defeating his intentions. 

On the same day Frank Elvidge, of Company A, made the 
entry in his pocket diary, " On the road to Richmond, a prisoner. 
Marched about six miles. Raining very hard. All the wagon 
trains are making for the rear, and I think are on the skedaddle. 
. . . Poor Fourth of July !" 

During the night of the 4th, Lee's army withdrew from 
Seminary Ridge, and at dawn of the 5th the last vestige of 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 35 

the gray-coated host had disappeared, except a few stragglers 
who voluntarily surrendered. As early as the morning of the 
4th scattering members of the 150th, mostly wounded, who 
had either remained hidden in the town or had imposed upon 
the enemy by artifices which had caused them to be classed 
among the dangerously hurt, began to report to the regiment, 
and were sent to hospital or treated by the regimental surgeon, 
according to their needs. Captain Sigler, of Company I, by 
binding a bloody handkerchief around his slightly injured 
limb and assuming an air of great exhaustion, managed to 
escape a journey to Richmond, and rejoined his company in 
serviceable condition. Captains Widdis and Gimber, and Lieu- 
tenants Carpenter and Chatburn, who were cut off in the retreat 
of the first day, formed a part of the column of prisoners which 
started for the rebel capital on the 4th. 

When Captain Jones's company went into action as skir- 
mishers on the morning of July i, the men had exhausted their 
drinking water, and many of them were suffering from thirst. 
Calling Private Rodearmel to him, the captain ordered him to 
take a number of canteens and fill them at a rivulet a few rods 
in the rear. " Rody" started on his errand, but failed to return 
during the day; nor was he seen until the morning of the 4th, 
when he presented himself before the captain on Cemetery 
Ridge with a large collection of freshly filled canteens, and 
with inimitable assurance .said, " Captain, here's the water! I 
knew you wanted good water, so I thought I'd go back to 
Germantown for it ; but the provost guard stopped me at Balti- 
more." True enough, he had started for home, but was arrested 
on the way and returned to the army under guard. 

While a few well-authenticated instances of shirking came 
to light after the battle, the conduct of the mass of the rank 
and file of the regiment in this long-continued and most ex- 
hausting engagement was beyond reproach. Even though re- 
duced to scarcely more than one-fourth of its usual strength 



136 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

by its frightful exposure o.n the first day, and almost entirely 
deprived of officers, the little battalion responded to each call 
for its services, on the second and third, with the same courage 
and alacrity which had distinguished it at the opening of the 
fight. 

In his official report to army head-quarters, referring to the 
important position held by the Bucktail Brigade, General 
Doubleday says, " I relied greatly on Stone's brigade to hold 
the post assigned them, as I soon saw I would be obliged to 
change front with a portion of my line to face the north-west, 
and his brigade held the pivot of the movement. My confi- 
dence in this noble body of men was not misplaced, as will be 
shown hereafter. They repulsed the repeated attacks of vastly 
superior numbers at close quarters, and maintained their posi- 
tion until the final retreat of the whole line. Stone himself 
was shot down, battling to the last. The gallant Colonel Wister, 
who succeeded him, was also wounded, and the command de- 
volved upon Colonel Dana, of the 143d Pennsylvania Volun- 
teers. This brigade, in common with almost every regiment 
in the Third Division, were Pennsylvanians, and were actuated 
by a heroic desire to avenge the invasion of their native State." 

Further on he states, " The rebels now advanced from the 
north-west to flank the two regiments in the road (149th and 
143d), but the 150th Regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel 
Huidekoper, changed front forward and met the enemy pre- 
cisely as Dwight had met them, with two volleys of musketry 
and a gallant-bayonet charge, led by Colonel Wister in person. 
This dispersed them. Another desperate onslaught came from 
the north, passed the railroad cut and almost reached the road, 
only, however, to encounter another defeat from the irresistible 
bayonets of our men. The next attack came from the west, 
but was again repulsed by the indomitable 150th Regiment." 

Colonel Stone, in his official report, pays the highest tribute 
to the troops of his command, saying, " No language can do 



PENNS YL VAN/A VOL UNTEEKS. 



m 



justice to the conduct of my ofificers and men on the bloody 
first day, — to the coohiess with which they watched and waited, 
under a fierce storm of shot and shell, the enemy's overwhelm- 
ing masses ; to their ready obetiience to orders, and prompt 
and perfect execution, under fire, of all the tactics of the battle- 
field; to the fierceness of their repeated attacks and to the 
desperate tenacity of their resistance. They fought as though 
each man felt that upon his own arm hung the fate of the day 
and the nation. Nearly two-thirds of my command fell on 
the field. Every field-officer, save one, was wounded. Not one 
of them left the field until completely disabled. Colonel 
Wister, while commanding the brigade, though badly wounded 
in the mouth and unable to speak, remained in the front of the 
battle, as did also Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper, commanding 
the 150th, with his right arm shattered and a wound in the leg, 
and Lieutenant-Colonel Dwight, commanding the 149th, with 
a dangerous gunshot wound through the thigh." 

General Rowley, commanding the Third Division, calls to the 
notice of the commanding general — among others — Adjutant 
Ashhurst, Colonel Wister, Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper, and 
Major Chamberlin, of the 150th Pennsylvania Volunteers, "as 
being distinguished for bravery." 

If Colonel Wister, in like manner, had named all of the offi- 
cers and men of his command who commended themselves by 
their good conduct, the list must necessarily have embraced the 
greater part of the regiment ! 

The following are the names of the killed and mortally 
wounded of the 150th in the battle of Gettysburg : 

KILLED OR MORTALLY WOUNDED. 
Company A. 

Corporal Samuel Keyser, killed July i. 
Private John Swint, killed July i. 
Private Thomas P. Boyce, killed July 3. 



138 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Private Joseph F. Durborrow, killed July 3. 

Private Alfred Lees, mortally wounded July 3 ; died July 12. 

Private Enos Mininger, mortally wounded July i ; died July 20. 

Private Harvey Morris, mortally wounded July i ; died August 3. 

Private George Pollard, mortally wounded July i ; died July 20. . 8 

Company B. 

First Lieutenant Henry Chancellor, Jr., mortally wounded July i ; 

died August 7. 
Second Lieutenant Charles P. Keyser, killed July i. 
Private Joseph Keen, killed July i. . . . . . . .3 

Company C. 

Private John G. Coyle, killed July i. 
Private George Kimey, killed July i. 
Private Alonzo Piatt, killed July i. 
Private William P. Swaney, killed July i. 
Private Hosea Smith, killed July i. 
Private Simon Trainer, killed July i. 

Private Nathaniel P. Gowen, mortally wounded July i ; died Sep- 
tember 24. . . 7 

Compa7iy D. 

Second Lieutenant Elias B. Weidensaul, killed July i. 

Corporal William E. Henning, killed July i. 

Corporal Joseph B. Ruhl, killed July i. 

Corporal Joseph J. Gutelius, killed July i. 

Private Henry A. Fees, killed July i. 

Private William R. Miller, killed July i. 

Private John May, killed July i. 

Private E. A. McFadden, killed July I ' . .8 



Company E. 

Corporal James P. Lukens, killed July i. 
Corporal Jesse Rex, killed July i. 
Corporal Edward Rockhill, killed July i. 



Company F. 

Private John Boyer, mortally wounded July i. 
Private Zacharias T. Fink, mortally wounded July i. 
Private Charles F. Gibson, mortally wounded July i. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 39 

Private Jonathan J. Miller, mortally wounded July i ; died August i8. 

Private Frank E. Northrup, killed July i. 

Private George W. Young, mortally wounded July i ; died July 9. . 6 

Company G. 

Sergeant Lorenzo Hodges, mortally wounded July i ; died July 16. 

Corporal William J. Holmes, mortally wounded July i ; died July 23. 

Private Asher M. Beckwith, mortally wounded July i ; died July 20. 

Private Fulton Bee, killed July i. 

Private John Benson, killed July i. 

Private Nathan Hand, killed July i. 

Private Isaac Pilgrim, mortally wounded July i ; died July 25. 

Private Wesley Merrick, mortally wounded July i ; died July 20. . 8 

Company H. 

Private Frederick Fulk, killed July i. 

Private Joseph Redman, killed July i. 

Private Amos P. Sweet, mortally wounded July i ; died July 12. . 3 

Coup any I. 

Sergeant Samuel Phifer, killed July i. 

Sergeant Henry A. Mudge, killed July i. 

Private Charles Clyde, mortally wounded July i ; died August 5. 

Private Hiram Fones, mortally wounded July i ; died August 5. 

Private George W. Franklin, killed July i. 

Private Jacob J. Mough, mortally wounded July i ; died July 19. 

Private James Morris, mortally wounded July i ; died July 18. . . 7 

Total killed or mortally wounded ...... 53 

To this number should doubtless be added Private John W. 
Waddell, of Company F, who has never been seen or heard of 
since the battle, and who is thought by all of his comrades to 
have fallen in the first day's fight. 

The number of the killed and mortally wounded in the 
150th, at Gettysburg, is fixed at fifty-seven by Colonel Fox, in 
his book entitled " Regimental Losses in the Civil War." As 
he had access to all the records of the War Department, his 
figures may be regarded as authoritative. 



140 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

At this late day it is, of course, impossible to obtain a com- 
plete roll of the wounded, the nurnber of whom, as returned by 
the Adjutant-General's Office and inscribed upon the regimental 
monument, was one hundred and thirty-four. The subjoined 
list has been made up with great care, and is probably correct 
as far as it goes : 

WOUNDED. 
Field and Staff. 
Colonel Langhorne Wister, mouth and face. 

Lieutenant-Colonel H. S. Huidekoper, loss of right arm ; leg wound. 
Major Thomas Chamberlin, shoulder and chest. 
Adjutant R. L. Ashhurst, shoulder. 
Sergeant- Major Thomas M. Lyon, chest. . . . . . .5 

Company A. 
Second Lieutenant Lyman M. Kilgore. 
Sergeant John Mitchell. 
Corporal Samuel Barnes. 
Private H. C. Boyd. 
Private Henry Folwell. 
Private Stephen Harmer. 
Private Paul Hoffman. 
Private Jacob Keyser. 
Private Thomas Maguire. 
Private Isaac R. Martindell. 
Private Jacob Myers. 
Private Conrad Redifer. 
Private Michael Sheehan. 
Private Edward Steer. 
Private Samuel J. White. . . . • ^5 

Company B, 
Sergeant William Kolb. 
Corporal William Buchanan. 
Private Matthew Alberts. 
Private James Wilson. ..... 4 

Company C. 
First Lieutenant Gilbert B. Perkins. 
Sergeant Duffy B. Torbett. 



PENA'S YL VANIA VOL U.VTEERS. 



141 



Sergeant Wilson N. Clark. 

Corporal Rodney Conner. 

Corporal George L. Gilmore. 

Corporal Cress Hellyer. 

Corporal Charles H. Snyder. 

Corporal Levi Sturdivant. 

Private James C. Barton. 

Private Lucius J. Childs. 

Private Isaiah Clark. 

Private Michael Dobbs. 

Private Frederick Gilmore. 

Private Cyrus Parker. 

Private Samuel Spargo. 

Private Peter Snyder. 

Private George N. Waid. 

Private Jonathan Williams. 

Private Henry Yocum iq 

Company D. 
Captain William P. Dougal. 
Sergeant Samuel H. Himmelreich. 
Corporal James W. Marshall. 
Private Samuel F. Hassenplug. 
Private Charles E. Mader. 
Private William Stahl. 
Private Henry Wittenmyer y 

Company E. 
Sergeant George W. Pastor. 
Private Patrick Donoghue. 
Private Lorenzo Keech. . , 



Compafiy F. 
First Lieutenant Chalkley W. Sears. 
Sergeant Henry B. Evans. 
Sergeant John C. Kensil. 
Corporal George W. Bates. 
Corporal Jonathan Carr. 
Corporal Joseph A. Edeline. 
Corporal Edward K, Hess. 
Corporal Francis M. James. 



142 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Private Andrew Batzel. 
Private Edward B. Fowler. 
Private William A. Garrett. 
Private George P. Grubb. 
Private John K. Himes. 
Private Edward Kates. 
Private David T. Jenkins. 
Private Garrett C. Kean. 
Private Edward McGinley. 
Private Levi Munshower. 
Private James Stevenson. 
Private Samuel Walker. 
Private John S. Weber. 



Cofnfiany G. 
Sergeant Cyrus W. Baldwin. 
Sergeant J. Leonard Beers. 
Corporal H. L. Burlingame. 
Corporal Colby C. Tripper. 
Corporal Herman Young. 
Private J. Merritt Baldwin. 
Private Merritt M. Catlin. 
Private Albert L. Lamphear. 
Private John Mead. . 



Company H. 
Sergeant James T. Reed. 
Corporal Melville L. Boslough. 
Corporal Roe Reisinger. 
Corporal J. W. Slocum. 
Private Lorenzo Abbott. 
Private Edward Baily. 
Private George Bartholomew. 
Private George Berrier. 
Private John W. Clark. 
Private Jonathan Deross. 
Private Abraham Foreman. 
Private George Galmish. 
Private John Garlow. 
Private John D. Gilbert. 
Private Andrew T. Harvey. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. I43 

Private James M. Hill, 

Private Andrew McDermott. 

Private Francis Nelson. 

Private William L. Perry. 

Private John A. Slocum. 

Private Jacob Stine 21 

Company I. 
Captain John W. Sigler. 
First Lieutenant Miles F. Rose. 
Corporal Sylvanus D. Guion. 
Corporal Daniel Pauli. 
Private Orrin B, Edget. 
Private Smith Hubbell. 
Private Philip Karch. 
Private Orson R. Karr. 
Private H. Banning Odell. 
Private John Rader. 

Private James F. Stevens. . . . .11 
Total 115 

The following is an imperfect list of the prisoners who were 

taken to Richmond and other places in the South, many of 

them having sturdily refused to be paroled' on the field. The 

large percentage of deaths among them speaks more eloquently 

than words of the privations which they underwent in captivity, 

and of the wretched sanitary conditions which prevailed in the 

" prison-pens :" 

Company A. 

Captain Cornelius C. Widdis. 

Sergeant Henry Laut. 

Corporal John Hausman. 

Corporal Lewis Vogel. Died at Andersonville. 

Private Frank H. Elvidge. 

Private Herbert Elvidge. 

Private Melville H. Freas. 

Private Charles Grant. Died at Richmond. 

Private George Shingle. Died at Richmond. 

Private Israel H. Thomas. 

Musician Philip W. Hammer. Died at Richmond. . 11 



144 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Company B. 
Sergeant E. L. Dickinson. 

Private William Diggle. Died at Andersonville. 
Private William Dunckley. 
Private John Gore. Died at Richmond. 

Cotnpany C. 
Sergeant James H. Winans. Died at Andersonville. 
Private George P. Ryan. 

Private Henry T. Smith. Died at Richmond. 
Private William Waid. Died at Richmond. 

Compayiy D. 
Private Amos Browand. 
Private Isaac Eisenhauer. 
Private John M. Hunt. 
Private Jacob Nees. 
Private John Suydam. Died at Richmond. 

Company E. 
First Lieutenant J. Q. Carpenter. 
Sergeant George H. Crager. 

Sergeant Charles W. Robinson. Died at Andersonville. 
Private George W. Cattell. Died at Richmond. 
Private Tames E. Graham. Died at Richmond. 
Private -John Pyott, Jr. Died at Richmond. . 

Company F. 
Captain Henry W. Gimber. 
Second Lieutenant Joseph Chatburn. 
Private David Ashalter. 
Musician Charles Zebley 

Company G. 
Private Melville Baldwin. Died at Richmond. 
Private Willard Cummings. 
Private Luther F. Haven. 
Private Oscar Moody. Died at Richmond. 
Private John Tyler 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 145 

Company H. 
Sergeant George Fry. Died at Andersonville. 
Private Harvey Chisholm. Died at Andersonville. 
Private Allen Scott, Died at Andersonville, ... 3 

Company I. 
Corporal Frederick Scisco. Died at Richmond. 
Private Charles H. Coyle, Died at Richmond. 
Private Levi Ross, Died at Richmond. 
Private Gothold Scisco. Died at Richmond. . . , 4 

Total ~^ 



146 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER XVI. 

RETURN TO VIRGINIA FROM PILLAR TO POST. 

The great battle of the war, which proved to be the turning- 
point in the fortunes of the Confederacy, had been fought, and 
the Army of the Potomac remained in possession of the field, but 
with a loss of more than twenty thousand in killed, wounded, 
and prisoners. Never were the wounded in any important en- 
gagement more tenderly cared for than were those of the Union 
forces after the close of the fight at Gettysburg. The Sanitary 
and Christian Commissions vied with each other in their atten- 
tions to the sufferers, and all that the plundered towns-people 
could offer was freely given to promote the comfort and ease 
the pain of the thousands who had here been maimed and 
lacerated in their gallant stand against the invader. Multitudes 
of citizens from every loyal State hurried to the scene to look 
after the welfare of friends who had been disabled, or lend a 
helping hand in the hospitals, and the spectacle of so much 
affectionate zeal did much to tone down the actual horrors of 
the struggle. 

As early as the 4th of July a large portion of the Union 
cavalry, including Buford's division, was in motion to harass 
the retreat of the enemy, and on the succeeding day the Sixth 
Corps was pushed forward on the Fairfield road in pursuit, 
while other corps moved by various routes leading through 
the mountains towards the upper Potomac. The First Corps 
remained at Gettysburg until the morning of the 6th, when it 
started for Emmittsburg, and, reaching that place early in the 
afternoon, encamped in the outskirts for the night. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 47 

Captain Jones was in command of the 150th, as he had been 
since the evening of the ist; and, owing to the numerous 
casualties in the regiment, most of the companies were com- 
manded by sergeants, and in one or two instances by corporals. 

Breaking camp at five a.m. on the 7th, tlie corps marched all 
day, bivouacking a little after sunset within two miles of Mid- 
dletown. The march continued on the 8th, with a halt of some 
hours at Middletown, and the troops rested that night at South 
Mountain Pass. On the 9th breastworks of stones were hastily 
constructed, and the corps lay on the side of the mountain all 
day. Next day it advanced through Boonsborough and formed 
line of battle a mile beyond the village. On the nth, about 
noon, Dana's (previously Stone's) brigade was thrown some 
distance to the right, where it established itself behind strong 
breastworks and remained all night. 

About noon of the 12th the march was resumed, and in a 
heavy thunder-storm the column passed through Funkstown 
and constructed defences a short distance beyond, the rebels 
being at the time in close proximity. The lines were strength- 
ened on the following day, and there was some skirmishing, but 
no regular attack. On the 14th the corps, now under the com- 
mand of General Newton, advanced to Williamsport, on the 
15th to the little village of Rohrersville, and on the i6th to the 
neighborhood of Berlin. On the morning of the i8th it crossed 
the Potomac on pontoons, and rested that night at Waterford, 
twelve miles from the place of crossing. 

On the same day the column of Union prisoners, including 
from two- to threescore of the 150th, reached Staunton, Vir- 
ginia, after many hardships on the long tramp. Here they were 
searched and relieved of nearly everything of value. From 
this point they were sent by railroad, in instalments, to Rich- 
mond, where they were placed in camp, under a strong guard, 
on Bell Island. 

The march of Newton's corps continued from day to day, 



148 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

via Hamilton, Middleburcr, and White Plains, to Warrenton, 
which point was reached on the 23d. Here it rested until the 
25th, when it proceeded to Warrenton Junction, where the 
150th was detailed for guard duty on the line of the Orange 
and Alexandria Railroad. 

As the regiment was sadly reduced in strength, counting 
scarcely more than one hundred for duty, Captain Jones and 
Lieutenant Kilgore were now detached and sent to Philadel- 
phia on recruiting service. It may be stated that they were 
reasonably successful in their mission, and a number of re- 
cruits joined the ranks during the autumn. 

On the 1st of August, Buford's cavalry crossed the Rappa- 
hannock to ascertain the whereabouts and distribution of Lee's 
forces, and a good portion of the army was put in motion. On 
the 2d the 150th marched to Bealeton, whence, after guarding 
wagon trains at that point for two days, it advanced to Rappa- 
hannock Station on the 4th. Here the sound of cannonading 
could be distinctly heard in the direction of Brandy Station, 
giving evidence of a cavalry encounter in that neighborhood. 
The infantry was held in readiness to move, but no occasion for 
its services arose. 

Comparative quiet now reigned " at the front," and there is 
little of interest to note for some weeks. Captain Sigler, of 
Company I, upon whom the command devolved after the de- 
parture of Captain Jones, had ceded the place to Captain Reis- 
inger, of Company H, on the return of the latter, who, in turn, 
handed over the command of the regiment to Captain Bell, of 
Company G, when that officer reported for service, after an ab- 
sence of some weeks on account of sickness. Lieutenant 
George Bell, of Company H, occupied the position of acting 
adjutant. The number of commissioned officers present was 
still very small. Details of men were made from time to time 
to construct rifle-pits beyond the river or cut away the woods 
to give the artillery a better range. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 49 

On the 1 2th of August, Company A, with a slight addition from 
F, was sent to Bealeton to act as provost guard at the station. 

Large bodies of troops were taken away on the cars on the 
14th and following days, five train-loads leaving on the i6th, 
their destination unknown. Drafted men began to arrive about 
the same time in considerable numbers, consigned to various 
Pennsylvania regiments, but none found their way to the 150th. 

The return of Colonel Wister, on the 20th, was hailed with 
pleasure by his old comrades and subordinates, and being the 
ranking officer of the brigade, he relieved Colonel Dana of the 
command, which the latter had held since July i. 

Major Chamberlin returned on the 26th and assumed com- 
mand of the regiment, which was then encamped in a pleasant 
grove above the hne of the railroad, about a mile from Rappa- 
hannock Station. The strength of the regiment was still below 
two hundred, and little or no attention having been paid to the 
clothing and equipment of the men since the great battle in 
Pennsylvania, they presented a motley and brigandish appear- 
ance. On the following day the major was summoned to divi- 
sion head-quarters to meet General Kenly, then in command, 
who informed him that he understood the 150th had formerly 
enjoyed the reputation of being the best uniformed and disci- 
plined regiment in the division, but in the absence of its field- 
officers it had fallen off sadly in both particulars, and needed 
immediate and judicious handling. He added that on the fol- 
lowing Sunday he would personally inspect the entire division, 
and hoped to see the 150th in such creditable condition that it 
might soon be expected to resume its former status. Assuring 
him that he might rest easy on that score, the major returned 
to his camp and instantly took measures to realize the general's 
expectations. Inspecting each company of the regiment sepa- 
rately, the same afternoon, accurate note was taken of every- 
thing that was needed, and requisitions were pushed in to the 
quartermaster's department before sunset with such a plea of 



150 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

2irgency that the supplies were forthcoming on the following 
morning. Two feverish days of drilling and polishing suc- 
ceeded, white gloves were unearthed somewhere, and on Sun- 
day morning, August 30, no regiment in the division could 
compare with the 150th in the precision of its movements, the 
neatness of its uniforms, the polish of its arms and accoutre- 
ments, and the striking " swellness" of its whole appearance. 
The eyes of the nervous little general sparkled with pleasure 
as he passed between the ranks, and his words were full of 
compliment; while Major Baird, his assistant adjutant-general, 
who was on especial terms of friendship with the field and staff of 
the regiment, seemed ready to execute a hoe-down from sheer 
satisfaction. From that time forward there was no further 
complaint of the condition of the 150th. 

High festival was held at the head-quarters of the Pennsyl- 
vania Reserve on the evening of August 29, on the occasion 
of the bestowal of a costly sword, belt, and sash on General 
Meade, its former commander. Many prominent officers were 
in attendance, as well as many distinguished civilians, including 
Governor Curtin, the " Father of the Reserve," who presented 
the sword in an eloquent speech, bubbling over with patriotic 
sentiment. A banquet followed, with am[)le provision of beer, 
wine, and more substantial drink ; and with toast and song and 
story, interspersed with orchestral music, the hours passed mer- 
rily until midnight, when the assemblage promptly dissolved. 
It was a genuine military " Commers," and the spectacle of one 
of the governor's staff, a veteran high up in the sixties, mounted 
on a table, like an enthusiastic Corps-Bursch, lining out patriotic 
verses to the air of " Villikins and his Dinah," and conducting 
the singing with all the fervor and action of a band-master, was 
supremely ludicrous. 

While these festivities were going on, the stores of one or 
two sutlers in the vicinity of the camp of the 150th were badly 
raided by a mixed force of artillery and infantry, — unarmed, of 



FENNS YL J \4 NIA VOL UNTEERS. I 5 I 

course, — whom it was found necessary to disperse with a 
squadron of horse. 

On the 3d of September the regiment moved to a point about 
a mile and a half below the railroad, and pitched camp in the 
open fields immediately in the rear of the 2d Maine Battery, 
which it had been detailed to support. Having no other dut\', 
the camp was first put in perfect order, and for nearly two weeks 
the command was thoroughly drilled in company and battalion 
movements, enjoying in the intervals the most uninterrupted 
quiet. 

Writing to a friend, on the 8th of September, the major says, 
" It is the first time since the regiment came into service that 
we have had no guard or picket duty to perform, and alto- 
gether we find it very pleasant. Our men are the most docile, 
easily governed soldiers I ever saw, and I have not had to 
speak a sharp word to a single soul since taking command. 
Small as they are in numbers, and long as they have been 
without pay, they are in the best possible spirits, and remind 
me constantly of a country school turned out to play. Lieu- 
tenant Thomas, of the battery, tells me he never had so well- 
conducted a regiment near him, and Dr. Carter, of the 4th 
Maryland, who is acting surgeon for us in the absence of Dr. 
Strauss, is so well pleased that he wants to remain with us." 

Lieutenant Fisher, of Company A, who had passed through 
a severe attack of sickness, beginning before the battle of 
Gettysburg, reported for duty on the 6th, and on the following 
day took charge of his company at Bealeton. By the 15th 
trains were running through to Culpeper, which thereafter 
became the distributing station for supplies. 

On September 16, Company A rejoined the regiment, which 
with the rest of the First Corps crossed the river and marched 
to Stevensburg, near Culpeper, and encamped. At this time 
some disaffection existed in the 150th towards its sutler, which 
on the 1 8th culminated in the presentation of the following 



152 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

paper, signed by the commanding officers of all the companies 

except D : 

"Camp of the 150TH Pennsylvania Volunteers, 
"September 17, 1863. 
"To Major Chamberlin, 

"Com'd'g 150TH P. V. 
"Sir, — The undersigned commanders of companies of this regiment 
respectfully represent to you that in their opinion the interests of the offi- 
cers and men of your command would be promoted by dismissing our 
present sutler, Frank Spyker, and appointing one who is more competent 
to do a fair and straightforward business. We do not deem it necessary 
to state in detail our reasons for taking this action, believing them to be 
well understood by the regiment. 

" Jas. W. H. Reisinger, Capt. Co. H. 

"W. S. Pine, Capt. Co. E. 

"J. W. SiGLER, Capt. Co. I. 

"G. B. Perkins, First Lieut. Co. C. 

" Horatio Bell, Capt. Co. G. 

" C. W. Sears, First Lieut. Co. F. 

" Harvey Fisher, First Lieut. Co. A. 

" S. R. Beckwith, Second Lieut., com'd'g Co. B." 

On the following day, while the matter was in process of in- 
vestigation by the regimental commander, a second paper was 
received by him, which read as follows : 

" We, the undersigned, respectfully ask that the memorial presented this 
day, calling for the dismissal of Mr. Spyker, our sutler, be retained at your 
head-quarters without further action for the present. 

"J. W. SiGLER, Capt. Co. L 

" Miles F. Rose, First Lieut. Co. I. 

" Lieut. C. W. Sears, Co. F. 

" Wm. P. Dougal, Capt. Co. D. 

"John Bredin, Second Lieut. Co. C. 

" W. S. Pine, Capt. Co. E. 

"Lieut. S. R. Beckwith, com'd'g Co. B. 

" Lieut. G. B. Pekkins, com'd'g Co. C. 

" Lieut. Harvey Fisher, com'd'g Co. A." 

This "tempest in a teapot" was thus suddenly allayed, and 
the sutler having been privately interviewed and admonished 



PENNS YL VA XI A VOL I WT££A\S. 1 5 3 

by the commander, no whisper of dissatisfaction was heard for 
a long time. 

Orders were received on the 2 2d to draw eight days' rations 
and be in readiness to move, but camp was not struck until two 
days later, when the corps advanced nearly to the Rapidan. 

On the 25th a soldier of the Maryland Brigade, Third Divi- 
sion, was " shot to death with musketry," in accordance with the 
sentence of a court-martial, which had found him guilty of de- 
serting to the enemy. To add to the enormity of his crime, he 
had practised " bounty-jumping" before coming to the field. 
The entire division was paraded to view his execution, which 
was conducted with great solemnity. The writer, who was 
present, recalls a vision of long lines of troops forming three 
sides of a vast square, around which a melancholy cortege, 
whose principal figure was the convict, dressed in dark trousers 
and white shirt, with his arms securely pinioned, slowl}^ wound 
its way to the notes of a funeral march. Before the eyes of 
the prisoner swayed a rude pine coffin in the hands of stalwart 
bearers, while on his heels came a firing-squad of twelve men, 
whose rifles held his passport to eternity. These were followed 
by the provost guard, marshalling a group of hardened offenders, 
upon whom it was supposed an object-lesson of so impressive 
a character could hardly fail of good effect. In the middle of 
the open side of the square a grave had been dug, and here 
the procession halted, a chaplain exhorting and encouraging 
the doomed man while the coffin was placed in position. Then 
the chaplain's voice was heard in prayer, the prisoner's eyes 
were bandaged, the commands, " Ready — Aim — Fire!" rang 
out in quick succession, and simultaneously with the sharp 
report of the guns the unhappy deserter fell dead without a 
tremor. 

Marching past the corpse in columns of companies, the 
troops, to lively strains from the bands, returned to their quar- 
ters to meditate on this unusual occurrence. 



154 ONE HUNDRED AND EIFTIETH 

On account of the inflamed condition of his recent wound, 
which completely disabled his right shoulder and arm, Major 
Chamberlin was ordered — on the recommendation of competent 
medical authority — to report to Georgetown Hospital for treat- 
ment, and, being provided with the necessary pass and trans- 
portation, left on the morning of the 26th. The Eleventh and 
Twelfth Corps started for Tennessee on or about the same day. 

During the latter part of September and the early days of 
October both armies were very much on the alert, and slight 
changes of position were made by every portion of Meade's 
command almost daily. On the 27th of September the 150th 
was located near Culpeper. On the 28th and 29th a portion of 
it was picketing at Raccoon Ford, and George Dixon, of Com- 
pany A, entered in his diary, " Rebels on the other side in mid- 
dling good strength and well fortified." On being relieved from 
picket, the companies forming the detail found the regiment 
in a new location. For a week or ten days no incident oc- 
curred worth chronicling. On October 9, Lieutenant Fisher 
was ordered to duty with the ambulance train. 

On the following day Lee's army was in motion, evidently 
with a view to flank General Meade, whose force was known 
to be seriously reduced, and bring him to an engagement in a 
disadvantageous position. The latter was, however, well in- 
formed of the enemy's intentions, and instantly began a ret- 
rograde movement. The 150th, guarding the division train, 
crossed the Rappahannock at Kelly's Ford on the afternoon of 
the nth, and encamped. Starting again at midnight of the 
1 2th, the retreat was continued, with occasional halts for obser- 
vation or rest, until the 14th, when the entire Union army was 
securely posted in front of the fortifications at Centreville. The 
Second Corps, which constituted the rear-guard, was attacked 
by General Stuart not far from Bristoe Station, but repulsed 
the enemy handsomely, capturing two colors, a battery of five 
guns, and several hundred prisoners. 



PEA'XS I Z I 'AA'/A I 'OL UNTEERS. 1 5 5 

General Meade has been much criticised for falling back 
from the line of Culpeper, where — it is maintained — he might 
have chosen his own position for fighting a battle, and, with 
forces superior in numbers to those of the enemy, would have 
had more than an even chance of success. Into the merits of 
this controversy it would be unprofitable to enter. It may be 
remarked, however, that the selection of a battle-ground by 
no means carries with it the assurance that the shock of arms 
will take place there, the enemy usually having an opinion of 
his own about the matter. As no harm befell the Union army, 
and its morale was unshaken by this hasty retreat, its com- 
mander has claim to generous indulgence for doing what 
seemed best to him at the time. 



156 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER XVII. 

FROM CENTREVILLE BACK TO THE " OLD STAMPING GROUND" 

WARRENTON JUNCTION MINE RUN PAOLI MILLS. 

Thwarted in his effort to take Meade at a disadvantage and 
deliver an effective blow on his flank somewhere between the 
Rappahannock and Manassas Junction, — a region whose mul- 
titude of roads had more than once before furnished opportuni- 
ties of successful attack by means of rapid circuitous marches, 
— Lee soon retraced his steps and led his army back to the 
neighborhood of Culpeper. The Union forces were promptly 
in motion in the same direction. 

On the 19th of October the First Corps left Centreville and 
advanced to Haymarket, over roads which had been rendered 
very heavy by recent rains. Next day the column passed 
through Thoroughfare Gap and encamped about a mile from 
Bull Run Mountain. Before the 150th and the other regiments 
of the brigade had fairly relieved themselves of their knapsacks, 
a considerable body of cavalry, which had pushed forward some 
miles to reconnoitre, came back in headlong gallop, closely 
pursued by a superior force of rebel horse, who in the gathering 
darkness rode into the very midst of the infantry before per- 
ceiving their danger, and only by a helter-skelter retreat escaped 
capture. 

On the afternoon of the 22d, Major Chamberlin returned and 
resumed the command of the regiment, which had moved its 
camp close to the mountain. Two days later the division retired 
through the gap to Gainesville Station, and thence to Bristoe, 
the Bucktail Brigade acting as rear-guard, and covering the 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 5/ 

wagon trains, which moved with difficult}' on account of the 
miry condition of the roads. Soon after leaving Gainesville 
heavy firing of small-arms was heard some distance in the rear, 
and as it was supposed that Stuart's cavalry was playing some 
prank with Kilpatrick, the brigade quickly took position to re- 
ceive the enemy. Mounted couriers soon reported that Kilpat- 
rick's command was emptying its carbines preparatory to clean- 
ing them, and the march was resumed and completed without 
further alarm. At Broad Run there was no bridge, and wagons 
and men forded the stream in water over two feet deep. Reach- 
ing Bristoe at ten p.m. thoroughly basted with mud, the troops 
passed an uncomfortable night, the temperature having fallen 
almost to the freezing-point. 

Here the 150th remained a week or more, improving each 
fair day by a full measure of company and battalion drill. 
Captain Jones and Lieutenant Bell, who had been in Phila- 
delphia on recruiting service, rejoined their companies about 
the 23d, leaving Lieutenant Kilgore to make further efforts in 
behalf of the regiment. On the 27th the 143d Pennsylvania 
was sent to Manassas Junction to guard the railroad. Lieu- 
tenant Fisher returned from the ambulance train to duty with 
his company on the 30th. 

In the early part of November a general movement of the 
army began. The First and Second Divisions of the First 
Corps advanced to Catlett Station, November 5, and on the 
6th continued the march towards the Rappahannock. On the 
latter day the Second Brigade, Third Division, moved from 
Bristoe to Warrenton Junction. The Mine Run diversion 
had begun. 

A pleasant incident, on the 6th of November, was the unex- 
pected appearance at regimental head-quarters of Private 
Dennis Buckley, of Company H, 6th Michigan Cavalry, who 
had borne a gallant part with the 150th at Gettysburg. He 
was warmly welcomed by all who had witnessed his admirable 



158 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

conduct in that engagement. " Sure, I had lots of fun after 
that," he said ; and he told, among other things, how his regi- 
ment had swept over some rifle-pits near Williamsport, where, 
with his own hand, he had collared a rebel colonel and brought 
him back a prisoner. " He was mad as a blind bull, the uppish 
grayback ; but I swung my sabre in a promiscuous manner, 
and he came along without further coaxing." 

Dennis was a born soldier, who saw only the agreeable side 
of campaigning, and never murmured at hard work as long as 
he could shake a ration out of his haversack. 

On the 7th the Second, Third, and a portion of the First 
Corps (First and Second Divisions) took the direction of 
Kelly's Ford, while the Fifth and Sixth moved towards Rap- 
pahannock Station. At Warrenton Junction the sound of can- 
nonading could be distinctly heard from the latter point during 
the afternoon, but nothing was known of what occurred until 
the following morning, when news was received of the storming 
of the rebel redoubts near the railroad bridge, at nightfall, and 
the capture of a large part of Hoke's and Hays's brigades, with 
several stands of colors and a battery of guns. The prisoners 
were marched back to Warrenton Junction on the 8th, and 
sent by train to Washington. The beginning of Meade's 
movement was as brilliant as its end was disappointing. 

As the Third Division of the First Corps had no part in the 
Mine Run affair, except to insure the safety of the army sup- 
plies in transit, it is unnecessary to follow the operations of the 
troops in that brief and unsuccessful campaign. 

For the protection of the railroad, the several brigades of the 
division were at first distributed as follows: the Third (Mary- 
landers) at Bristoe Station ; the First at Catlett ; the Second 
(Bucktails) at Warrenton Junction, at which last-named point 
General Kenly established his head-quarters. This assignment 
was soon modified, the 143d and 149th Pennsylvania being 
sent to Bristoe and Manassas Junction and the Maryland 



FE.WVS YL J 'AN/A VOL I 'XTEERS. I 59 

Brigade transferred to Warrenton Junction. The latter station 
was regarded of such importance, on account of tlie heavy 
supply trains which frequently rested upon the Y, that, in addi- 
tion to the 150th and the Maryland Brigade (which in numbers 
equalled the other two combined), General Kenly posted two 
batteries of artillery near his head-quarters, and kept a squad- 
ron or two of cavalry within hail. As Mosby's independent 
command of mounted bushwhackers was known to be in the 
rear of the Union army, a sharp lookout was kept for him all 
along the line, involving the maintenance of an extended circle 
of pickets around each station, with heavy patrols in almost 
constant motion up and down the railroad track. While the 
Marylanders remained, the duty at Warrenton Junction was 
not excessive ; but about the 23d of November, General Kenly 
received orders to change his head- quarters to Rappahannock 
Station, and on the following morning departed, taking with, 
him the entire Maryland Brigade, the two batteries of artillery, 
and the cavalry. This left the 150th, with an added detail of 
about one hundred men (chiefly conscripts, newly arrived) from 
the 143d and 149th, to guard a post which had previously re- 
quired the services of at least two thousand troops of all arms. 
Major Chamberlin, who was left in command, at once found it 
necessary to contract the picket line and reduce the strength of 
the patrols ; but with the best dispositions that could possibly 
be made, at least one-half of his force of three hundred men 
was on active duty each day. To better insure the safety of 
the halted trains, he withdrew from the edge of the pleasant 
grove, some distance back from the railroad, in which the camp 
had originally been pitched by General Kenly's orders, and 
located the regiment on a knoll immediately overlooking the 
junction. Snow having fallen on November 9 and 10, giving 
promise of an early winter, snug quarters were erected as 
rapidly as the exacting demands of the service permitted, and 
a line of rifle-pits was prepared encircling the entire camp. 



l6o ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Here the men felt more secure than before, but the details for 
picket and patrol purposes were necessarily as heavy as ever, 
and almost nightly alarms occurring at one point or another, 
from the attempts of guerillas to penetrate the lines, the 
nervous tension finally became such that not a member of the 
command but would gladly have exchanged places with the 
troops confronting the enemy at Mine Run. Near Catlett 
and other stations along the railroad the bushwhacking element 
was active, and several men who had gone a short distance 
from their camps to cut wood or wash their clothes were shot 
down in cold blood and stripped to the skin. This state of 
affairs at last became intolerable, and Colonel Biddle, com- 
manding the First Brigade, sent out details of cavalry and 
infantry with instructions to scour the country for several miles 
on each side of the railroad, and arrest and bring to his head- 
quarters, at Catlett, every male citizen who could be found. 
Quite a number were " rounded up" in a few hours, — a long- 
haired, brigandish-looking set, in " butternut" suits, — every one 
of whom probably belonged to Mosby's " Irregulars ;" but being 
well provided with properly signed passes, as well as certificates 
to the effect that they had taken the oath of allegiance to the 
United States government, nothing was to be done with them 
but to let them go. A {t\v, whose papers were defective or 
who lacked written evidence of their loyalty, were sent to Old 
Capitol Prison at Washington. 

Among others who were arrested was Dr. Catlett, — a gen- 
tleman well advanced in years, — whose comparatively young 
and handsome wife came to Colonel Biddle to plead for her 
husband's release. Arrayed in the remains of ante-bellum 
finery, with gown and hat of a departed fashion, her appear- 
ance at a social gathering anywhere north of the Potomac 
would doubtless have provoked a smile ; but to the war-worn 
soldier, confined by his calling to this ravaged and hoof-beaten 
strip of the Old Dominion, she was a most picturesque and 



FE.VXS } L J 'AXL4 VOL UNTEERS. 1 6 1 

pleasing figure. The colonel was a paragon of severity in 
manner and feature, cool and passionless as an icicle ; but the 
tears and entreaties of this admirable woman did their perfect 
work, and her aged husband was permitted to return to his home. 

Such was the feeling in the ranks towards the long-haired 
gentry near the railroad, who by day were " inoffensive farmers," 
but were with reason suspected to be guerillas by night, that 
when, in the course of the same afternoon, two of the lank and 
hated tribe, who had been released at Catlett, passed near the 
camp of the 150th, appeals were made to the commanding 
officer by several of the men for permission to go outside and 
waylay them. Of course he could not countenance such a 
procedure, though persuaded in his own mind that a little 
shooting and hanging, and a judicious application of the torch 
to the farm-houses and barns on either side of the railroad, 
would save the Union army a world of annoyance. 

One bright afternoon, just before Thanksgiving Day, a rickety 
wagon, drawn by two melancholy looking horses whose frame- 
work was sharply outlined against their hides, and whose har- 
ness was a complicated blending of leather and hemp, drew up 
in close proximity to the camp. In it sat an old couple who 
seemed to have fared as meagrely as their " critters ;" but they 
were bright and chirrupy, and had brought an assorted load of 
" country produce" from Brentsville, to exchange at fair prices 
for greenbacks. Such an arrival was a godsend, and in a mo- 
ment the wagon was surrounded by an eager crowd of pur- 
chasers, clamorous for bargains. Chickens, eggs, potatoes, 
turnips, and other supplies were handed out as fast as change 
could be made, and were carried off to quarters in triumph. A 
dainty morsel, in the shape of a pair of fine young ducks, was 
coveted by many of the men ; but the three dollars at which 
they were held seemed to spoil their market, and though often 
caressingly handled, they invariably found their way back into 
the wagon. The roguish clement is never wanting in a regi- 
' II 



1 62 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

ment. A fair-haired, beardless youth, of Company E, found in 
the ducks an irresistible temptation. Watching his opportunity, 
he slipped them from under the very noses of the old couple, 
without detection, and, hiding them under his blouse, walked 
coolly to his tent. The theft was soon discovered, and the air 
filled with lamentations by the old woman, who vowed she 
would stop all transactions then and there. They were Union 
people, she said, who since the beginning of the war had suf- 
fered much persecution from rebel neighbors, and had had a 
hard struggle for existence. And to have her beautiful ducks 
stolen by Union soldiers, — it was too much ! And she refused 
to be comforted, even by the thought of the goodly roll of bills 
which she had already pocketed. 

The regimental commander, who from a distance had looked 
on and enjoyed the scene, was cognizant of the rape of the 
ducks, and felt that it was time to intervene. His desire was 
to encourage the bringing of wholesome vegetables and other 
supplies to the camp. He accordingly ordered the ducks to 
be restored to their owners, which was done, and the old couple 
drove away in their creaking vehicle in great contentment. 

The health of the regiment at this time was excellent, and 
Dr. Strauss, the only medical officer present, was easily able to 
do justice to all his patients. Dr. Quinan, for reasons best 
known to himself, failed to rejoin the command after the battle 
of Gettysburg, and on the 23d of November was dismissed 
the service, thus making way for the promotion of Dr. Strauss. 

Shortly before this (November 15) Henry M. Kieffer,* a fair- 
haired drummer-boy of Company D, in the absence of a hos- 
pital steward, was promoted to that position. Being a bright, 
intelligent youth, of good education, and a general favorite in 



* Rev. Henry M. Kieffer, D.D., is best known by his " Recollections of 
a Drummer-Boy," which first appeared in St. NicJtolas, and since, in 
book form, have given pleasure to many thousands of readers. 



•\^ 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 163 

the regiment, his appointment gave great satisfaction, though in 
its reduced condition the drum-corps keenly felt his withdrawal. 

Expressions of regret were often heard at the fact that Ad- 
jutant Ashhurst's services were lost to the command, that 
accomplished officer having retired from the army on the lOth 
of September, on surgeon's certificate of disability. Highly 
educated, polished in his manners, of a genial disposition, con- 
scientious and untiring in the discharge of his countless duties, 
patriotic, brave, and always gentlemanly, he was sorely missed 
in the detail work of the regiment, and his absence left a void 
in the head-quarters mess which it was impossible to fill. 

On the morning of November 30, Lieutenant W. L. Wilson, 
acting assistant adjutant-general. First Brigade, brought an 
order from Colonel Biddle (to whose command the 150th was 
temporarily assigned) to send a sergeant and twenty-one men 
for permanent duty at Licking Run Bridge, about two miles 
west of Warrenton Junction. Major Chamberlin, wondering 
if the colonel had gone entirely daft, immediately mounted his 
horse and rode to Catlett, hoping to have the order counter- 
manded. Colonel Biddle assured him that it had come down 
from division head-quarters and was imperative. 

" But, colonel, you know as well as I do that Mosby's men 
are in our neighborhood, and that placing so small a force at 
that distant post is simply inviting its capture. It would not be 
surprising if the men were all gobbled up the very first night." 

" I know it," said the colonel ; " but there is no alternative, 
and you are absolved in advance from all responsibility for the 
consequences." 

The detail was sent out about noon, and fixed its camp at 
the foot of the high embankment, on the farther side of the 
stream, a few yards from the bridge. That night, about eleven 
o'clock, firing was heard in the direction of Licking Run, and 
twenty minutes later one of the men of the detail came in 
breathless, stating that the post had been attacked by Mosby 



164 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

and several of the guards captured. A mounted orderly was 
sent in hot haste to Colonel Biddle to report the disaster and 
request that a squadron or two of cavalry be despatched to the 
scene. Four companies of the 150th had been instructed to 
sleep with their accoutrements on, and these were promptly 
called out and marched with the utmost rapidity towards the 
bridge. The cavalry passed them on the way, but failed to 
encounter Mosby, who had had ample time to reach a place of 
safety. On arriving at the bridge, the infantry found the guards 
at their posts, and quickly learned the details of the attack, which 
was less disastrous in its results than it might have been. The 
force of the enemy was variousl}' estimated at from fifty to a 
hundred, and had come down quietly on the little camp, in the 
darkness, evidently with a full knowledge of its exact location 
and the number of men with whom they had to deal. The 
sentinels on duty gave the alarm as soon as the enemy's ap- 
proach was discovered, but it was too late, and seven men were 
picked up before they could get out of their tents. The rest 
escaped across the run and opened a vigorous fire, which 
doubtless had much to do with the hasty disappearance of the 
attacking party, who made no effort to fire the bridge. Strength- 
ening the guard, and leaving a reliable commissioned officer in 
charge, the major led the four companies back to camp. A 
few days later a Richmond paper, which in some way had 
come through the lines, reported the arrival of " seven prisoners 
who had been captured near Warrenton Junction by Colonel 
Mosby's command." Of those taken, a portion belonged to 
the detachment of the 143d and 149th temporarily serving 
with the 150th ; but Privates Samuel G. Stephens, of Company 
H, and Samuel A. Wheeler, of Company I, — possibly one or 
two other 150th men, — were among the unfortunates. The 
two named died at Andersonville, Georgia, in 1864. 

The Fifth Corps came in from the Rappahannock, December 
4, looking rather rusty after its operations beyond the Rap- 



P£A\VS YLl'A XI A VOL UXTEEHS. 1 6 5 

idan, and relieved the First Corps as railroad guards. On the 
afternoon of the 5th the regiment marched with Colonel Biddle's 
brigade to Bealeton, and on the following morning crossed the 
Rappahannock and proceeded to Paoli Mills, encamping in a 
small open space sheltered on three sides by woods. The next 
few days were employed by the men in putting up comfortable 
quarters, as the nights were beginning to be cold. At the 
mills, not far from the camp, were a number of old wooden 
buildings, entirely unoccupied, and by permission of Colonel 
Wister, who had brought up the rest of the Second Brigade, 
the men of his command helped themselves to the boards, 
using them as flooring for their tents. The owner of the 
property entered complaint at General Newton's head-quarters, 
and by the general's order Colonel Wister was put in arrest. 
This engendered a storm of indignation throughout the corps, 
which grew in intensity from day to day, until its echoes 
reached the ears of the corps commander. Colonel Wister 
was very popular among all the officers, by whom his action 
was thoroughly approved, and, with his Quaker-like views of 
what was permissible in the enemy's country in time of war, 
there was no disposition on his part to make any apology for 
his conduct. The situation was probably made clear to Gen- 
eral Newton by his chief of staff, Colonel Kingsbury, for after 
a few days' delay the colonel was permitted to resume his 
sword. A symposium of rejoicing was held at brigade head- 
quarters the same night, and tradition has it that certain com- 
missary stores were much reduced before the assembled officers 
had given full expression to their satisfaction at the colonel's 
release. Occasional war-whoops pierced the silence of the 
surrounding camps, whose occupants might have imagined an 
irruption of savage marauders, intent on painting the country 
red, if they had not understood the nature of the demonstra- 
tion and its cause, which latter had their unqualified approval. 
The return of Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekopcr on Saturday, 



1 66 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

December 12, was a pleasurable event to his immediate com- 
mand and to his many friends in the army. His empty sleeve, 
pinned across his breast, recalled most vividly the unequal 
struggle of July I, in which he had acquitted himself with the 
skill of an old campaigner, ably seconding the plans of Colonel 
Wister, and by his personal undertakings adding lustre to the 
record of the regiment. He had hardly reached the camp 
before he was in his " working harness," and when Sunday 
dawned, an added polish to arms and accoutrements bore wit- 
ness in advance to the thoroughness of his anticipated inspec- 
tion, and to the desire of the men to maintain their old-time 
reputation. 

Two days after his arrival, in writing to a member of his 
family, Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper says, " We lie east of 
Brandy Station, about six miles over a fearful road, which 
Lieutenant Huidekoper is now corduroying. The men are 
making themselves comfortable, and the nice little regiment 
gives us no more trouble than a brood of chickens. . . . The 
army has helped itself generally to horses. Some of our cap- 
tains have horses. Colts, geese, and chickens have domesti- 
cated themselves in the camps. Colonel Wister has one goose, 
chickens, and seventeen sheep." 

A i&w days later (December 19) he writes, "The major has 
gone off on a ten days' leave. Wise man, not to stay where he 
is not needed ! One field-officer is all that our small brood 
needs to keep it in order, and then four eyes would see more 
rebel property disappear than two eyes, which would be harsh 
towards men fighting for their country. Our men, one night 
on the march, had to give up nine horses. When they moved 
in the morning they had fifteen more. Self-preservation is a 
commendable trait in soldiers." 

Speaking of horses, the entire region from Manassas to the 
Rapidan abounded in these animals, many of which had been 
disabled in battle, while others had broken down in the trans- 



F£A'.vs ] 'z r: / .^ va j ^ol unteers. i ^y 

portation service and had been turned loose to die at their 
leisure. Rest and abundant pasture in many instances restored 
the suffering beasts to a fair condition of health and strength, 
and such were speedily utilized by the infantry officers in con- 
veying their baggage from one camping ground to another. 

On one occasion, " Rody," of Company B, came into camp 
leading by an improvised rope halter a wretched mule, which 
had been discharged for disability and with difficulty was going 
on three legs. On its back he had packed a mass of camp- 
kettles, knapsacks, and miscellaneous articles, which completely 
masked the animal's body, and rose like a mountain in the 
centre. Addressing his company commander, he said, — 
" Captain, I've brought you a horse to carry your baggage." 
" But what are you doing with that house-furnishing stock 
on his back ?" 

"Well, you see, captain, the d— d beast kicks like h — 1, and 
I had to load him down to keep him from kicking." 

At that moment the offended mule began to give a practical 
exhibition of his attainments as a kicker, and never ceased 
until he had relieved himself of the entire burden of what 
" Rody" was pleased to call his " equipperments." 

It is needless to add that the captain declined the proffered 
pack-horse. 

On the 14th of December, Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper 
writes, " Colonel Wister made a capture of some hundred sheep 
a few days ago, and has still a few left, which Rittenhouse pre- 
pares for us when we want mutton. . . . Leaves of absence and 
furloughs are being granted to the number of eight to a regi- 
ment at one time, and I am thronged by worthy applicants. 
As a rule, I give preference to the married men, and the boys 
laughingly ask permission to go home to get married.'' 

On the 2ist, in another letter, he says, "Thanks for the 
stockings for the men, which were distributed immediately to 
the most needy, as requested. Colonel Wister advised, when 



1 68 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFriETII 

he heard I had stockings for the men, to give them away at 
guard-mounting. The man who saluted me worst yesterday, 
and who was evidently the most needy, had a pair promised 
him as soon as he should learn to salute properly, which he 
soon did. I was almost tempted to keep one of the fine pairs 
for myself, but it went to a Germantown boy. . . . Our cook. 
Nelson, who is nearly sixty years of age, will not allow the 
' boys' to do anything for me. He receives at my hands a 
ration of whiskey a day, saying, ' Massa, I need it ; I'se getting 
old.'" 

Winter had now fairly set in, but the regiment was provided 
with comfortable quarters and looked forward to weeks, if not 
months, of profound inactivity. With much labor they had 
constructed huts of young pine timber, with generous fire- 
places and approved chimneys, and hoped to be allowed to 
enjoy them until the opening of spring should summon them 
to fresh campaigns. In this they were disappointed. On the 
23d of December the ground was covered with snow and the 
air was clear and crisp, making the atmosphere of the well- 
built quarters doubly enjoyable. Before night orders came 
to be ready to move, and on the 24th the division broke 
camp and marched, over roads that would have been almost 
impassable but for a foundation of recently laid corduroy, to 
Culpeper Court-House, which was reached about four p.m. 
Here the regiment bivouacked just outside of the upper end of 
the town, in a grove of young pines, not far from a large frame 
dwelling which had been selected by General Kenly as his 
head-quarters. The 143d and 149th went into the oak timber 
half a mile beyond, on the property of a Mrs. Green, — a comely 
widow of most lady-like manners and still in the freshness of 
her womanhood, — a part of whose delightful old mansion was 
occupied by Colonel Wister and the brigade staff. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 69 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

CULPEPER — RACCOON FORD — A WOULD-BE INCAPABLE — AN 
APPEAL TO CESAR — RESIGNATIONS. 

On account of the cold, and indifferent shelter, the first night 
at Culpeper was cheerless enough, and Christmas morning 
found nothing in the stockings of the men but half-benumbed 
feet. Fortunately, the grove in which the regiment was located 
offered ample material for winter-quarters, and a score of axes, 
in hands long accustomed to their use, soon cleared the ground 
and shaped the timber for building purposes. In two or three 
days, under the commander's supervision, a model camp was 
completed, as accurate in its alignments and snug in its con- 
struction as a well-ordered New England village. To insure 
proper drainage, the company streets were cleared of stumps, 
and surface sewers hollowed out on each side, leading down the 
slope to the little valley below. Then, by incessant raids on the 
commissary department, enough empty boxes were finally se- 
cured to furnish each hut with a substantial floor, — a matter of 
prime importance from a sanitary point of view. When all was 
finished, the regiment was justly proud of its camp, which in 
symmetry and picturesqueness was probably not surpassed by 
any in the army. 

Colonel Wister now commanded five regiments, — viz., the 
I2ist, I42d, 143d, 149th, and 150th Pennsylvania, — which by 
the consolidation of the First and Second Brigades became the 
First, while Colonel Dushane's brigade of Marylanders, previ- 
ously the Third, became the Second. The morning reports of 
the 150th showed two hundred and forty one enlisted men 



170 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

present for duty, and the entire strength of the First Brigade 
did not equal that of two full regiments. 

On December 27, Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper writes, 
" General Kenly has taken a great liking to our regiment, and 
one result is that I secured, out of proper position, a beautiful 
grove as a site for our camp, and the men are busily felling the 
trees for their huts. It is raining terribly, and the men are 
still lying on the ground, tentless. I pity them from the bottom 
of my heart." 

On December 29 he continues, " I have been in the saddle 
nearly all day, hurrying the men in their work of camp-making, 
so that another storm will find them housed against its fury. I 
tired out the major's horse this morning and rode mine in the 
afternoon. Bought some boards on a fence, and hope by to- 
morrow night to have regimental head-quarters attractive 
enough to make the major glad to return to his ' home and 
family,' as I hope he will do soon [the major was absent on 
leave]. The other regimental commanders laugh when they 
ask me how I got so nice a place for our camp. 

"January i, 1864, At three, Major C and I dined at 

division head-quarters. Owing to weakness from our wounds, 
we are both housed away from the regiment, but the men make 
such a racket at night that we must join them as soon as we 
can get our hut finished. 

" Colonel Wister received a box of toys this morning, which 
he intends for presents to the children in Culpeper." 

The long-awaited resting-time had at last arrived. On New 
Year's Day, Dixon, of Company A, records in his diary, " The 
Blue Ridge covered with snow. Clear and cold." 

On the 2d he is still more brief: " Very cold last night." 

Of course, in such weather, with the ground frozen and 
rough beyond description, drilling was not even thought of, 
and as both camp and picket details were light, there was 
ample leisure for reading and reflection, social visits and card- 



PEA'XSYLVAXIA VOLUNTEERS. \y\ 

playing, especially the latter. On the 3d the lieutenant-colonel 
writes, '' Colonel Wister's resignation has been disapproved 
because of his excellence as a brigade commander. 

" The major goes to camp to-day, and I follow soon. We 
have not had a dress parade or held an inspection for ten days, 
so that the men might work on their huts and camp." 

On the 7th the same officer notes the fact that the ther- 
mometer marks ten degrees above zero, and adds that he and 
the major "are discussing which shall sit up to-night and tend 
fire." 

Some little excitement prevailed for a day or two in the 
camp of the 150th, immediately after the men had settled down 
in their new quarters, in consequence of the disappearance of 
a^ fine heifer belonging to one of the citizens of the town. 
Complaint was made at division head-quarters, and a patrol 
was sent out to discover, if possible, what disposition had been 
made of the carcass. Diligent search was made in the huts of 
the 150th for traces of the contraband beef, but nothing was 
found, although nearly every pound of it was hidden Iway 
under the floors, and afterwards formed part of savory stews 
and roasts which filled the camp with grateful odors. There 
was reason to believe that the officer in charge of the investi- 
gation not only had no heart in his work, but was in full sym- 
pathy with those who were concerned in the abduction and 
slaughter of the animal. At all events, his report was such 
as to relieve the regiment from suspicion of any participation 
in the affair. 

General Kenly having gone North on leave of absence about 
the beginning of the new 3'ear, Colonel Dushane was tempo- 
rarily in command of the division. On the 9th of January the 
following order was received at regimental head-quarters : 
" Special Order No. 7. 

" A board, to consist of Major Chamberlin, 150th Pennsylvania X'olun- 
teers; Captain Irvin, 149th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers; and 



.172 ONE HUNDRED AND EIETIETH 

Captain W. W. Dorr, 121st Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, will 
assemble at the Head-Quarters First Brigade, Third Division, on Monday, 
January ii, 1864, at nine a.m., or as soon thereafter as practicable, for 
the examination of First Lieutenant William C. Andrews, Company F, 
8th Regiment Maryland Volunteers, as to his qualification as an officer, 
he having tendered his resignation on the ground of alleged incompe- 
tency. Captain Dorr will act as recorder of the board, and will forward 
the proceedings to these Head-Quarters. 

" By command of 

"Colonel Dushane. 
[Signed] " Edward C. Baird, 

" Major and A. A. G. 

" Hd.-Qrs. First Brig., Third Div., 

" First Army Corps. 

" January 9, 1864. 
" Official : 

"■John E. Parsons, 

"Lieut, and A. A. A. C" 

The case was so unusual that the officers named in the special 
order awaited with no little curiosity their meeting with Lieu- 
tenant Andrews. At the time and place appointed he appeared, 
young, bright, alert, with prepossessing manners, and free from 
every trace of the dejection that might have been looked for 
in one who thought so meanly of his own ability. When the 
examination began, his pride evidently got the better of his 
intentions, and throughout the sitting his replies to questions 
concerning the manual, company, and battalion movements, 
and all the duties of a line-officer, were so prompt and correct 
that at the close the board felt satisfied that not one in a dozen 
of his rank was equally well instructed, and wondered what on 
earth had prompted him to resign on such a preposterous plea. 
The chairman could only hint at the propriety of an explana- 
tion, which the young man was indisposed to give; and as the 
order constituting the board exacted no recommendation one 
way or the other on their part, the recorder was instructed to 
send up the minutes as they stood, with the verbatim replies 



FA.VXS } L I : / N/A VOL LLYTEEJiS. 1 7 3 

to the several questions, leaving to the division commander the 
final decision of the case. Whether the lieutenant was per- 
mitted to retire to private life, or retained in the position which 
he was so competent to fill, none of the examining officers ever 
learned ; but they all agreed at the time that there was " a 
woman in the case." 

In a letter written January 29, Lieutenant-Colonel Huide- 
koper states, " General Newton, his wife, and some friends rode 
over last evening to witness the best dress parade our regiment 
ever had. Mrs. Newton remarked to me that she had been 
told the 150th was above all other regiments in its excellence 
of drill and discipline." 

On the 31st he adds, " General Newton brought a friend in 
citizen's dress to our camp to-day, to see ' the finest camp in 
the Army of the Potomac,' he said." 

Chaplain William McCormick, who had been promoted to 
that position from the ranks of Company C, February 13, 1863, 
was discharged on the 14th of January, 1864, on surgeon's 
certificate of disability. 

About the same time William Wright, who had been com- 
missioned lieutenant and adjutant in the autumn of the previous 
year, but had been prevented from assuming the duties of his 
new position by a severe attack of sickness which kept him 
from the field for several months, returned to the regiment and 
relieved Acting Adjutant Tryon. Lieutenant Wright had pre- 
viously been commissary sergeant, in which capacity he had 
given proof of superior ability, and won the approbation of 
the entire command. 

Dr. John L. Morris, appointed assistant surgeon January 16, 
1864, was assigned to the 150th, and reported for duty a few 
days later. 

On the 6th of February the First Corps, under orders from 
General Sedgwick, who in General Meade's absence was in 
command of the army, advanced to Raccoon Ford to feel the 



174 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

enemy and ascertain whether he was still in force in that neigh- 
borhood. Under cover of artillery, a body of infantry crossed 
the Rapidan and moved across the fields towards the higher 
p-round, with a strong line of skirmishers well to the front, who 
soon encountered the rebel pickets and drove them back some 
distance. In a few minutes hurrying lines of rebel infantry 
came in view, and as soon as within range engaged the Union 
troops. The latter, in accordance with their instructions, fought 
in retreat, and, under the protection of well-posted batteries, 
safely repassed the river. The whole movement was beauti- 
fully executed, and the action, which lasted less than half an 
hour, was in plain sight and offered a most interesting spectacle. 
The corps bivouacked in the woods for the night, with a heavy 
cordon of pickets near the stream. Rain fell in torrents, and 
in the chill air, with insufficient shelter, both officers and men 
suffered great discomfort, laying the foundation of many severe 
colds and other more serious ailments. The next day continued 
wet, and, the ground having become excessively miry, no fur- 
ther demonstration was made. About four o'clock in the after- 
noon the troops started on the return march, leaving the pickets 
in position until after nightfall, when the disagreeable duty fell to 
Major Chamberlin — who had relieved Colonel Dushane in the 
morning — of gathering in about four hundred men, scattered 
along a line of perhaps three miles, and leading them, in Egyp- 
tian darkness, over roads in which the mud seemed almost fath- 
omless, back to their quarters at Culpeper. Soon after quitting 
the front the column encountered and was sharply challenged 
by a large cavalry outpost, mounted and in line of battle, with 
carbines in hand, who, not having been informed of the fact that 
the infantry pickets were still out, mistook the latter for the 
enemy and were upon the point of firing. Many shoes were 
left sticking in the mud on this memorable march, and haver- 
sacks and canteens whose straps proved unequal to the strain 
were irretrievably lost. 



J'/tAWS YL VANIA VOL UNTEERS. i - - 

Again peace and quiet reigned in the army, and, the weather 
contnnnng fickle, httle was asked of officers or men beyond 
the,r regular "turn" of camp and picket duty, though dress 
parade was observed with the usual formality as often as the 
conditions warranted. " Poker^-more or less indulged in at all 
t.mes-suddenly became an absorbing occupation, the private 
sold.er yieldmg to its fascinations as readily as his superiors 
and nskmg h,s scanty allowance as heedlessly as the latter their' 
liberal stipend. At the various head-quarters-brigade divi- 
sion, corps, and army-the game had immense vogue, and not 
infrequently members of the staffs lost or won. in a single nic^ht 
he pay of several months. The epidemic struck the cam^ of 
the 150th along with the rest.-in one case with an unfortu- 
nate result Lieutenant Rose, of Company I, in disregard of 
a well-estabhshed regulation, sought play and companionship 
among some of the enlisted men of his command. This miaht 
have passed with a reprimand, had it come to the knowledge 
of head-quarters in a quiet way; but in an altercation which 
arose one night over the cards, long after "taps" had sounded 
blows were exchanged, accompanied by loud and violent lan- 
guage from the lieutenant, whose voice could easilv be distin- 
guished by the entire regiment, and in the intere'st of disci- 
pline the commander was compelled to prefer charges against 
the offender. A court-martial followed, whose sentence of 
dismissal from the service was duly confirmed. February 2. 
I004. "^ •^* 

Dming the month of February many ladies visfted their 
friends m the army, and were handsomely entertained at the 
vanous head-quarters. Excursions on l,orseback and in am- 
bulances to Pony Mountain and other points of interest were 
of almost daUy occurrence, and review followed review, chiefly 
-.t vvas thought-for the benefit of these welcome visitors On 
the .eth the Third Division of the First Corps was rev ew^d 
on the 2 1st the Bucktail Brigade paraded in its best regimentals,' 



176 ONE HUNDRED AND EIETIETH 

and on the 23d, General Newton exhibited his whole command 
to a body of distinguished guests. On several afternoons 
groups of officers and ladies, mounted or in ambulances, came 
from corps head-quarters to witness the dress parades of the 
150th, whose white gloves, natty uniforms, and perfect handling 
of the musket had extended its reputation quite beyond the 
limits of the division. Even General Newton complimented 
the regiment by his presence on two of these occasions. 

Immediately after the review on the 23d, the Misses Ken- 
nedy, of Washington City, and other invited guests were en- 
tertained at dinner by Colonel Wister, at his head-quarters in 
Widow Green's mansion. In the evening the colonel ap- 
peared for the last time at the dress parade of his regiment, and 
at its close took leave of the command in a few words full of 
feeling. All of the officers and many of the men thronged 
about him to grasp his hand and wish him well in his career as 
a private citizen. His resignation dates from the 22d, and on 
the 24th he left for home. 

Colonel Wister was a Quaker by descent, and shared many 
of the virtues of that severe sect, while casting his lines chiefly 
with the " world's people." From the bluntness and honesty 
of his ways, the stranger was apt to receive a disagreeable im- 
pression at first acquaintance ; but once admitted to a footing of 
intimacy, no one could have desired a better friend or a more 
genial companion. He was a hater of all shams, and impatient 
of every form of meanness. As a soldier, he was alert, brave, 
and full of resource, — traits which stood him in good stead as 
a commander. After serving actively for nearly three years, 
during which he received two wounds, and commanding a 
brigade for the last seven months, he felt — now that he was 
about to be relieved from the higher position by the return of 
Colonel Roy Stone — that his little regiment, which had been 
reduced by battle and disease to less than two hundred and 
fifty men for duty, could get along very well without him, and 



P EXNSYLV.lv J A VOLUNTEERS. lyy 

that he could properly be spared from the field to attend once 
more to his long-neglected private interests,* 

There were few companies at the seat of war which did not 
contain at least one disillusioned youth who had found soldier- 
ing anything but the picnic he had painted it, and, dispirited by 
sickness or chafing under the restraint of military discipline, 
was ready to adopt almost any measure to compass his return 
to the parental roof. Receiving little but ridicule from his 
comrades and meagre allowance of sympathy from his imme- 
diate officers, he not infrequently poured his tale of woe into 
the ears of some one high in authority, in the hope of obtaining 
the desired rehef. President Lincoln no doubt received many 
communications like the following, which is a verbatim et litera- 
tim copy of a document referred down through the " regular 
channels," starting at the White House and ending at the 
head-quarters of the regiment : 

" Writen to the Pre$adent of the United States. 

" Camp Near Culpeper 

" Feby the 20th / 64. 
"Presadent Sir, Mr A. Lincoln. — I this evning I sit down to write 
to you (a Soldier Friend !). Mr L, I am a private in Comp. H. 1 50th Regt. 
Pa. Vol. I enlisted in the year 1862, September the ist and sworn into 
United States Survice on the 4th day September. I was a Stought and 
heartey Farmer Boy then. My first Sickness was braught on by lying on 
the ground allthough it was warm wether and on the 28th of Oct. / 62 I was 
taken to Carver Hospital with the Typhoid Fever and where I had a hard 
Strugle betwene life and deth, and since then I havent ben fit fore a Sol- 
dier ; and in January I left Carver Hospital fore my Regt I had hered that 
I was gowing to leave fore Vergina and I wanted to go with them allthough 

* Colonel Wister (who received the brevet rank of brigadier-general at 
the close of the war, on the recommendation of Major-General Double- 
day) died at Germantown, March 19, 1891, at the home in which he was 
born, in his fifty-seventh year. He was laid to rest in Laurel Hill Ceme- 
tery by the surviving field- and staff-officers of his regiment, his coffin 
draped with its cherished colors, bearing the record of its many battles. 

12 



178 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

I was not fit, and I went with them to Bell plain Landing whare we landed 
on a very fine day and marched about 2 miles where we Encamped we 
made tents or Shelters from the gum blankets ore Ponshows, and we laid 
down on the Cold ground which frose that night hard and it rained till 
near Midnight and then it comenced to snow and it snowed all that day, 
and 1 was agane put in the Regt. Hospital and about a Week ore two 
after I was Detailed fore Teamster in the Ordanence Department. I was 
sick there about two weekes and then I was In purty good health such as 
it was I was Teamster about 6 months that was till after the Gs.Burg 
Battel when we came to Raphanack River there I" was taken with the 
Cronick Diareah and then with Typhoid Fever I was sent to Fairfax Sim- 
unary where onder the good care of Dr Huselton I was brought around 
so 1 could walk I was then sent from there to Chestnut Hill Hospital 
whare I Receved very good atension from Dr Budd and on the 18th of Jan- 
uary 1864 1 left Chestnut Hill Hosp fore my Regt. I arived at Convales- 
cent Camp January the 22d / 64 here I aught to have ben Examend but I 
was not although I made an aplication fore it they told me that none ware 
Examind there at that time they told us that we would be examind at 
Jenareal Mead Head Quar. but we was not now I am in my Regement 
agane and not fit fore duty at all as the Typhoid Fever has as I think and 
the Doctors say Disabled me for life. I am Entirely lame in my left Side 
the Medical Directors at Convalesants Camp told me to appley to my 
Capt and to the Comander of the Regt. fore my Discharge well this Evning 
the Captain Came back from his forlow and came to see me and he 
wanted to know how I was geting along I told him how it was and Showed 
him my Sertificates of Dibility but he said he dident no what to due about 
it he sead he couldent do Enything fore me that he new of he said that 
the Doctors would be likely to keepe me till the Army Moved and then 
they would send me of to the Hospital at Washington agane. 

" Now Mr L. I am but a poor farmer Boy. I have lost my health in this 
Nobel Cause of ours in trying to put down this Rebelion the Tradors of 
the South they that tore down that Nobel flag of General Washington the 
Flag that our fore Fathers gave to us. Mr Lincoln I am as I told you a 
poor farmer son my Mother is a widow she was willing to let me come 
to help to crush this Rebelion but alas that young man of 20 years that 
was then in full Bloom is now but a faided flower of the North nothing 
but a Skeliton that onst wore those Rosey cheeks of helth. I have 8 
Brothers and Sisters all younger then myself the next oldest to me has 
broken his leg So he is a cripel for life so I am all my Mothers Suport if 
I was at home where I could get the Comforts of life I think I would get 
back my health at least so I could Earn my living and be a grate Com- 



PEA^NSYLVAA'IA VOLUNTEERS. 179 

fort to my Mother where heare I am only Expence to the Goverment 
and doeing my Country no good. 

" My kind Friend of Friends you have the power to help me a grate 
deal you have the power to due it if I am not mistaken which I hope not my 
Friend will you please see to my case I am in Misery heare last night I 
had the Eare ache most all night and I have a bad sore throat, will you 
my dear Friend see to my case fore me you can due it a grate deal fore me ; 
healp me fore my poor widow Mother sake healp me out of my misery as 
I am in misery as long till I can lay in Some beter place than on the cold 
damp ground healp me before it is to late and I will bless you as long as 
there is breath in me. I would willingly help my fellow comrads put down 
this rebelion but my heath wont permit me to due so. 

" I must close my letter by Sending my blessings of which I ask of god 
upon you and may god Bless you the Remandier of your life is the prayer 

of your soldier friend . 

" Mr Lincoln 

" if you wish to write to my Captain ore Cornel 
Address Cornel Wister 150 Reg P.W Captaine (James) Reisinger of 
Comp H 150 Regt. Pa Vols 

" if you will write to me and tel me if you can due anything 

fore me, address 

" Comp. H 150 Reg pa Vol 
" in care of Capt Reisinger 

" Washington D. C. 

" please help me if you can your obedent Survent 

" I hope Mr Presadent that you will foregive me fore my forewardness 
to you and in Asking of you such a faveret 

" I speake not ill of my Comanders they say that they can not due me 
enything at all Sir 1 have Certificates sined and sworne to in my posesion 
by Reliabel Doctors and if you wish to see them I will send them to you. 

" I am sory to put you to in eny way in trouble of eny kind, but I did 
not no ho to turn to fore Redress and some of my friends told me to write 
to the Presadent that there I would get my right. 

" I have a grate Confidence in our Good Presadent hoe has dun a grate 
deal fore us poor Soldiers 
" Mr Lincoln 

" there are a few more of such men ore boys as myself hear are not fit 
to be a Solder than I am." 

This extraordinary petition, embellished with many quaint 
conceits of ornamental penmanship, utterly failed of its object. 



l80 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

The " faided flower of the North" in a {q.\\ weeks outgrew his 
compHcated ailments, bore his musket manfully, and was 
counted among the seriously wounded in the fierce encounter 
of the Wilderness on the 5th of the following May. 

On the retirement of Colonel Wister, Lieutenant-Colonel 
Huidekoper was commissioned colonel (February 23), but the 
strength of the regiment having fallen below the inininuim 
fixed by the War Department, he was not entitled to muster. 
The loss of his right arm proved so serious a disability that, 
despite his devotion to the cause and his natural fondness for 
military things, he deemed it only the part of wisdom to return 
to civil life, leaving to others the work in which he had already 
made so heavy a sacrifice. His resignation was sent in on the 
2d of March, and three days later he took leave of the regi- 
ment, to the great regret not merely of his own command, but 
of many officers in the brigade, division, and corps, who recog- 
nized in him one of the ablest tacticians of his rank and one 
of the best disciplinarians in the army. 

Captain J. W. H. Reisinger was soon after transferred to 
another field of service, having received a commission as 
major in the 25th United States Colored Troops, dating from 
March 12. The vacancy thus created in his company was 
not filled until June, when Lieutenant George Bell became 
captain. 

In the early part of March a number of bright, spring-like 
days dried up the mud and drew the troops to the drill-field 
as naturally as school-boys, under similar conditions, are drawn 
to the play-ground. Here, it was the school of the company, 
the battalion, the brigade, which in the course of a week or 
two gave to each man as thorough a knowledge of the fields 
around Culpeper as if he had been a local surveyor. Inspec- 
tions and reviews continued to fill up odd intervals, cavalry and 
artillery taking their turn with the well-worked infantry in 
these frequent diversions. It began to be whispered that im- 




Colonel George W. Jones. 





QUARTEKMASTEK A. S. VoORHIS. 



Adjutant William Wright. 




ASSIS'IAM blKl.LON I. L. MiiRRIS 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. l8l 

portant changes were about to be made in the organization of 
the Army of the Potomac, and that General Grant was to be 
summoned East to direct its operations in the coming cam- 
paign, clothed with powers which would enable him to control 
all the forces of the Union and move them in concert on one 
far-reaching plan. These rumors were speedily confirmed. On 
the 9th of March the grade of lieutenant-general, which had 
been revived by Congress, was bestowed upon Grant, who lost 
no time in visiting the army at Culpeper and conferring with 
General Meade, though he did not transfer his head-quarters 
to Virginia until some weeks later. Meade's plan of reorgan- 
ization'' contemplated the consolidation of the First and Third 
Corps with the Fifth and Second respectively, by which each 
of the latter would thereafter contain four divisions. 

On the 17th of March, Major Chamberlin, who had been 
commissioned lieutenant-colonel on the 6th, to succeed Colonel 
Huidekoper, and who had been practically in command of the 
regiment the greater part of the time since the closing days of 
August, 1863, left the army and returned to civil life. His 
health had been impaired by exposure during the winter, and 
the disability resulting from his wounds was such that either 
hospital treatment or a definitive withdrawal from the field be- 
came imperative. He regretfully chose the latter alternative, 
and, his resignation having been accepted (on surgeon's certifi- 
cate of disability), turned over the command to Captain George 
W. Jones, the ranking line-officer. Captain Widdis, who was 
still a prisoner in the South, was commissioned lieutenant- 
colonel, to date from March 18, but for some unexplained 
reason Captain Jones failed to receive his promotion as major 
until the 30th of the following month. At this time the regi- 
ment, numbering a little less than two hundred and fifty men, 
was in the highest state of efficiency, and— as Colonel Huide- 
koper had truthfully declared—" gave no more trouble than a 
brood of chickens." 



1 82 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER XIX. 

ACROSS THE RAPIDAN — THE WILDERNESS. 

The merging of the First Army Corps into the Fifth, by 
which the former lost its identity during the rest of the war, 
was a source of profound regret to all who had served with it, 
and under McDowell, Hooker, Reynolds, and Doubleday had 
assisted in giving it an enduring name in history. Unfortu- 
nately, the departure of a number of regiments whose terms of 
enlistment had expired, and the marked depletion of its ranks 
by the accidents of battle, seemed to justify this disagreeable 
measure, against which even those who questioned its expedi- 
ency hesitated to present a formal protest. 

By this change the Fifth Corps was much strengthened, and 
consisted thenceforward of four divisions, commanded in their 
numerical order by Generals Griffin, Robinson, Crawford, and 
Wadsworth. Stone's brigade became the third in Wadsworth's 
(Fourth) division. 

The army continued its encampment in the vicinity of Cul- 
peper, and until the beginning of May every portion of it was 
kept astir, drilling almost daily — frequently in heavy marching 
order — in preparation for the severe demands about to be made 
upon it. Inspections were frequent and thorough, to detect 
and remedy any defects in the equipment of the troops while 
the needed supplies were easily within reach. 

Special Order No. 'j%, issued by General Wadsworth, April 
6, contained the following paragraph : 

" lo. Lieutenant-Colonel Osborne, division inspector, and Lieutenant 
Tinker, division ordnance officer, will forthwith make a thorough inspec- 
tion of the arms and equipments of this command, and will report there- 
upon ; and likewise in the order of merit or demerit of the three regiments 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 83 

in which the arms and equipments are in the best condition, and the three 
in which they have been most neglected, 

" This report will be made as soon as possible, and will be published 
throughout the command." 

From the circular which was soon after published, it will be 
seen that the 150th continued to maintain its well-earned repu- 
tation, and but for the fact that the 6th Wisconsin enjoyed the 
advantage of a more recent issue of clothing, the Bucktail 
Regiment would probably have stood first in the order of merit 
in dress and appearance. 

" HEAD-QaARTERS FOURTH DIVISION, FlFTH ARMY CoRPS, 

" April 16, 1864. 
" Circular. 

"The following extract from the report of the inspection made pur- 
suant to paragraph 10 of Special Orders No. 78 from these head-quarters 
is furnished for the information of the command : 

" ' The three regiments in which the arms and equipments were in the 
best condition are as follows ; 

" ' I. 6th Wisconsin Veteran Volunteers. 
" ' 2. 150th Pennsylvania Volunteers. 
" ' 3. 147th New York Volunteers. 
" 'The percentage in excellence of condition of the arms and equip- 
ments is equal. 

"'The 6th Wisconsin Veteran Volunteers excelled in neatness of 
clothing and appearance. 

" ' The three regiments in which the arms and equipments were in the 
worst condition are as follows : 

" ' I. 95th New York Volunteers. 
" ' 2. 24th Michigan Volunteers. 
" ' 3. I2ist Pennsylvania Volunteers. 
" ' The percentage of excellence of condition of arms and equipments 
in the 95th New York Volunteers was the lowest of the above three regi- 
ments, but they excelled the others in neatness of clothing and appearance. ' 
" This circular will be read at the first dress parade after it is received 
in each regiment of this division. 
" By command of 

" Brigadier-General Wadsworth. 

" A. W. H. Gill, 
" Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-Ge7ierair 



1 84 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

On the night of May 3 camp was broken, and soon after 
midnight, with the cavalry in the lead, the army started on 
the most wearing campaign it had ever undertaken. Grant 
was at the front to direct its movements, and officers and men 
alike felt that the two great opposing forces were about to enter 
upon the home-stretch, with chances in favor of the North, 
which could best stand the hard knocks and more readily 
fill the gaps necessarily resulting from a long succession of 
conflicts. 

The 150th left Culpeper shortly before dawn, its strength (as 
ascertained from a copy of the last weekly report made by H. 
M. Kieffer, hospital steward, just prior to the movement) being 
about three hundred and forty-six officers and men. Late in 
the forenoon it crossed the Rapidan at Germanna Ford, on a 
pontoon bridge over which a good portion of the Fifth Corps 
(Warren's) had already passed. The Sixth Corps (Sedgwick's) 
followed the Fifth. The latter moved without interruption to 
Old Wilderness Tavern, and bivouacked in line, facing west, 
with Sedgwick on the right. The Second Corps (Hancock's) 
rested at Chancellorsville, having crossed the river at Ely's Ford. 

In pursuance of orders from General Grant, Warren, early on 
the morning of the 5th, set his corps in motion to take up a 
position at Parker's Store, on the Orange plank road. The 
150th, under Major Jones, was sent to the front as one of the 
regiments of skirmishers, and long before the objective point 
was reached, the enemy was encountered and his skirmish line 
forced back upon the main body. Wright's division of the 
Sixth Corps joined Warren's right, and Getty's division, also of 
the Sixth Corps, was ordered to Warren's left. In this forma- 
tion a general attack was made, the line extending across both 
the Orange plank road and the Orange turnpike, which at this 
point were separated by a considerable belt of dense forest, the 
same nearly impenetrable screen of woods continuing north 
and south of these almost parallel roads. Hancock was in- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLLNTEERS. 1 85 

structed to re-enforce Getty, who was somewhat isolated from 
Warren, and join in his assault. 

Owing to the wilderness-like nature of the ground which was 
fought over, it is impossible to give a lucid account of the 
various movements, or specify their limits with absolute accu- 
racy. It was for the most part a battle of musketry, the artil- 
lery finding little opportunity of doing effective work. When 
Warren's main line advanced, overtaking and passing the skir- 
mishers, Major Jones re-formed a large portion of his command 
and moved with the supports, but many of his skirmishers 
continued with the attacking force, which pushed back the 
opposing lines through the thick woods, amid a din of volleys 
and yells that may well be qualified as infej'ual. The rush of 
the Union advance soon spent itself, and encountering fresh 
bodies of rebel infantry, Warren's exhausted men were com- 
pelled to yield ground rapidly, and with more' or less confusion, 
until they reached some breastworks which, fortunately, had 
been thrown up by the troops in the rear. Here, as related by 
Sergeant Ramsey, " a number of the scattered members of the 
150th got together, and, in charge of a non-commissioned 
officer of the regiment, by order of a staff-officer, took and 
held a position in the breastworks until the onset of the rebel 
line was checked. They then hunted up and rejoined the regi- 
ment, which, with the brigade, was found at a point near the 
Lacey House." Stone's command suffered heavily in this 
morning engagement, contributing a long list of killed and 
wounded to the aggregate of casualties. 

Late in the afternoon Wadsworth's division and Baxter's 
brigade of Robinson's were ordered to the left to report to 
Hancock, whose troops, with Getty's, were in hot conflict with 
the enemy at and near the intersection of the Brock and plank 
roads. In line of battle facing southward, with a strong force 
of skirmishers well in advance, Wadsworth moved in the direc- 
tion of the firing; but the almost impenetrable thicket of young 



1 86 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

pines impeded his progress to such an extent that night over- 
took him before he succeeded in striking Hill's left flank or 
connecting with Hancock. Stine, in his " History of the Army 
of the Potomac," says, " General Wadsworth's orders were to 
proceed quietly. The conflict with the Confederate pickets, 
and Colonel Roy Stone's enthusiasm, made it [presumably the 
forcst\ a howling wilderness." 

The firing in Hancock's front having ceased, and the dark- 
ness making it impossible longer to preserve an alignment, 
Wadsworth, in uncertainty as to his bearings, prudently halted 
his troops, who rested on their arms in line of battle. 

Grant, in his Memoirs, states that Hancock was to make an 
assault on the morning of May 6, at five o'clock, and that 
Wadsworth, who lay to Hancock's right, almost perpendicular 
to Hill's line, was to move at the. same time and attack Hill's 
left. Wadsworth advanced at half-past five, and was soon in 
touch with the Second Corps, which was pushing to the attack. 
The troops of Birney, who commanded the right wing of Han- 
cock's force, extended across the Orange plank road at the 
outset, but they were gradually crowded to the left as the move- 
ment progressed, and a portion of Wadsworth's command, in- 
cluding the 150th, presently found itself on the left of the 
road, and so continued during the morning. Hill was pressed 
back rapidly a mile or more, but not without severe fighting, 
in which the Union arms received many momentary checks. 
Some confusion prevailed in both Hancock's and Wadsworth's 
ranks, owing to the nature of the field, and regiments and 
brigades became more or less intermingled ; but the men 
responded with alacrity to every order to stand or advance, 
and up to about seven o'clock no rearward step was taken. 
At the farthest point reached by the 150th, Sergeant Ramsey 
received a severe wound, which resulted in the loss of a leg, 
and for a time he lay between the contending lines. Before 
the hour named, Longstreet's troops had begun to arrive, and 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 8/ 

the presence of Field's and Kershaw's divisions was speedily 
felt. As stated by General Humphreys, Meade's chief of staff, 
" It was when Hancock's troops were partially checked by the 
fresh troops of Longstreet's corps that the necessity of read- 
justing his formation became imperative. Regiments were 
separated from their brigades and mixed with others, and the 
line of battle was very irregular, and commanders were in this 
way losing the control of their troops." 

Such readjustment was effected as circumstances would per- 
mit, the left of Birney's line, which had outstripped the centre, 
being drawn back some distance ; but little headway was made 
after Longstreet's troops and Anderson's division of Hill's 
corps became factors in the engagement. In the varying for- 
tunes of the morning, the 150th clung to the plank road and 
its immediate vicinity, charging time and again in the face of a 
destructive fire, and losing many men. On several occasions, 
as related by Major Jones and others. General Wadsworth, who 
was always at the front, called out in his paternal way, " Come 
on, Bucktails !" and led the little regiment in person against the 
enemy. 

Between nine and ten o'clock the Iron Brigade, commanded 
by General Cutler, and a portion of Roy Stone's command, were 
borne backward in some disorder, but other troops were thrown 
into the gap as speedily as possible, re-forming the line, but not 
without loss of ground. An hour or two later a successful 
flank movement, executed by portions of Longstreet's and 
Hill's commands, overcame the left of Hancock's line, com- 
pelling it to retreat; and at the same time a violent attack by 
fresh masses in front involved the centre and right in a similar 
misfortune, the entire line being swept back towards the breast- 
works held in the morning. Wadsworth, who had previously 
had two horses killed under him, in his efforts to rally his men 
and hold his position, was now mortally wounded, a ball pass- 
ing through his head, and fell into the hands of the enemy. 



1 88 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

He was on the plank road at the time, leading his horse, having 
been persuaded to dismount by some of his officers, who remon- 
strated with him upon the folly of needlessly exposing himself 
to the fire of sharp-shooters. Upon this point the testimony 
of a number of officers and men of the 150th, who were near 
him when he was struck by the fatal bullet, is conclusive, 
although most of the published accounts of the battle repre- 
sent the gray-headed hero as shot from his horse. Major 
Jones made a gallant effort to recover his body, but the enemy 
in vastly superior force pressed forward too rapidly to permit 
of success. 

The division fell back to the Brock (or " mud") road at its 
intersection with the plank road, where a line of defences had 
been thrown up the previous evening. This fortified position 
was held tenaciously until the middle of the afternoon, when 
Longstreet's troops, by a heavy attack, succeeded in effecting a 
lodgement in a part of the works. Meanwhile, Lieutenant- 
Colonel Osborne, division inspector, had got together the rem- 
nants of Colonel Roy Stone's brigade, with the brigade and 
the several regimental colors still safe, and, leading them into 
the woods a few yards from the plank road, re-formed their line 
and instructed them to refresh themselves with coffee and such 
other supplies as their haversacks contained. Colonel Hoff- 
man, of the 56th Pennsylvania, re-formed Rice's brigade of 
Robinson's division near the same spot. Colonel Stone had 
been disabled in the engagement of the morning by a fall from 
his horse, compelling him to retire, and at Osborne's sugges- 
tion, Lieutenant-Colonel Irvin, of the 149th Pennsylvania, as- 
sumed command of his brigade. About four o'clock, soon 
after Longstreet had won a portion of the fortified line near 
the intersection of the two roads. General Hancock, accom- 
panied by one of his aides. Captain Wilson, came riding through 
the woods, and finding Irvin's and Hoffman's men in good 
shape, called out sharply, " What troops are those?" Receiving 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 89 

a prompt response, he said, "Just what I want," and immedi- 
ately gave orders to the two brigades to charge and retake the 
lost works. Instantly the lines were formed, and, advancing 
swiftly, rushed upon the intrenchments, which, after a brief but 
bloody encounter, were freed from the clutch of the enemy, 
who was pursued far beyond into the woods. 

Strangely enough. General Hancock, in his official report of 
the battle, gives the credit of this gallant achievement to Car- 
roll's brigade, of his own corps, which had nothing whatever 
to do with it ; and General Grant, in his " Personal Memoirs," 
and General Humphreys, in " The Virginia Campaign of '64 
and '65," naturally perpetuate the error. General Hancock, to 
whose attention the matter was brought by General Hoffman 
and others, admitted that he had been guilty of an inadvertence, 
and promised to straighten the record, but passed away with- 
out doing so. 

Among those who lost their lives in this brilliant and suc- 
cessful charge was Captain Horatio Bell, of Company G, who 
was one of the first to mount the works, and with the rifle 
which was his constant companion in the field, gave proofs of 
superior marksmanship. Though comparatively devoid of edu- 
cation, and as little versed in the niceties of the tactics as in the 
processes of the higher mathematics, he possessed great natural 
ability, was accomplished in woodcraft, and with an absolute 
devotion to the cause of the Union united a degree of physical 
courage that was equal to any test. He died lamented not only 
by his own company, but by the entire regiment and by many 
outside of the command, who recognized his zeal, his valor, 
and his rugged honesty. 

Soon after the recapture of the breastworks the brigade was 
relieved and led to the rear, where it was permitted to rest that 
night and the following day, though a large detail was sent to 
the front, beyond the works, for picket duty. Major Jones, 
who was in charge of the pickets that night, relates that soon 



1 90 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

after the men were posted one of the line-officers * came to him 
in the twihght and reported a regiment of federal troops as 
located a short distance in his front. The major, mystified by 
this intelligence, and deeming the matter worthy of investiga- 
tion, accompanied his informant to the spot indicated, and 
there, true enough, found a line of men in blue, but all silent 
in death ! Proceeding a little farther to the front, he discovered 
a similar line in gray, — mute witnesses to the desperate nature 
of the morning's struggle. 

The battle of the Wilderness was over, and neither side could 
claim any decided advantage. Both armies were much ex- 
hausted, for every portion of the two lines had been warmly 
engaged at one time or another, and at times the contest raged 
along the entire front. The noise of the musketry, multiplied 
and re-echoed by the thick woods, was often frightful, and 
many a stout heart which had passed unshrinkingly through 
the dangers of well-fought fields quailed before the leaden 
blast which cut and stripped the young pines as if a cyclone 
had swept over them. To add to the horrors of the strife, 
the underbrush took fire at many points in the wooded belt 
which formed the principal scene of the protracted struggle, 
and a large area, in which lay many dead and helpless 
wounded, was ravaged by the flames. Even the breastworks 
were in places invaded by this new enemy, and the smoke 
from the muskets of the contending infantry mingled with 
the hotter smoke of burning timber. It was a fearful experi- 
ence, which those who shared it will remember to their dying 
day. 

From copies of his weekly reports, kindly furnished by Hos- 
pital Steward Kieffer, the mean strength of the regiment is 
ascertained for each week to November 19, 1864. From that 
of May 7 the following figures are taken : 

* Captain Rorer. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. I9I 

Mean strength of regiment 276 

Taken sick 6 

Wounded ......... 74 

Died of wounds 2 

As the mean strength of the regiment a week before was 
three hundred and forty-six, the deduction of eighty-two "sick," 
"wounded," and "died" would leave only two hundred and 
sixty-four for duty. The discrepancy is owing to the return 
of convalescents from the hospitals. 

The field hospitals took no note of the killed, but from Bates's 
" History" and other sources is derived the following list of 
those who were killed or died soon after of their wounds : 

Company A. 
Corporal Samuel J. White, killed May 6. 
Private Michael Sheehan, killed May 6 2 

Company B. 
Corporal James McCann, killed May 5. 
Corporal Jonathan Wood, killed May 5 2 

Company D. 
Captain Roland Stoughton, wounded May 5 ; died May 27. 
Private James Lucas, wounded May 6; died same day. . 2 

Company E. 
Private Timothy Hefferman, killed May 5. 
Private William Meyers, killed May 5 2 

Company F. 
Private David T. Jenkins, mortally wounded May 6. . i 

Company G. 
Captain Horatio Bell, killed May 6. 
Private Luther Adams, mortally wounded ; died May 20. 
Private Delos Otto, killed May 5. 
Private Charles B. Slocum, mortally wounded May 5; 

died May 6 4 



192 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Company H. 

Private David Brines, killed May 6. 
Private James M. Close, killed May 6. 
Private Sansom Smith, killed May 6. 
Private Silas Smith, killed May 5. 

Private Andrew J. Work, mortally wounded May 5 ; died 
May 16. ......... 

Company I. 

Private Alexander Curry, killed May 5. 

Private Cyrus J. Lane, killed May 5. 

Private Henry B. Lathrop, mortally wounded ; died 

May 10. 
Private Christian H. Rouss, killed May 5. ... 

Total 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. iq. 



CHAPTER XX. 

LAUREL HILL SPOTTSYLVANIA. 

On the 7th of May reconnoissances revealed the fact that 
Lee, in spite of the success which he claimed in the two days' 
fighting, had withdrawn his troops to fortified lines a mile and 
a half from the Union front, doubtless in the hope of receiving 
an attack where he would have all the advantage of position. 
In Grant's opinion, however, the rebel army was preparing to 
retire rapidly on Richmond for the purpose of crushing Butler, 
who had established himself on the James River at City Point. 
General Grant accordingly gave orders for a flank movement 
that night to Spottsylvania Court-House. His able antagonist, 
flattering himself that he had so seriously crippled the federal 
forces that they would in all probability fall back on Fredericks- 
burg, ordered Anderson, who succeeded to the command of 
Longstreet's corps after the wounding of that general, to march 
rapidly to Spottsylvania on the morning of the 8th, with in- 
structions to strike Grant's flank, if his supposition proved cor- 
rect. Thus each of these great leaders was in error as to the 
real condition and intentions of the other,— a state of things 
not uncommon in the course of the war. 

On account of the forest fires, Anderson started on the even- 
ing of the 7th, and was in a fortified position ready to engage 
Warren when the head of the latter's column, leading the 
Union advance, reached his front at dawn of the 8th. Warren 
attacked, supposing— as intimated by General Grant— that he 
had to do with a force of the enemy's cavalry. Naturally his 
assault failed. A second effort was more successful. " This 

13 



194 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

time," says General Grant, " he succeeded in gaining a position 
immediately in the enemy's front, where he intrenched. His 
right and left divisions — the former Crawford's, the latter Wads- 
worth's, now commanded by Cutler — drove the enemy back 
some distance." 

Bates, in his brief history of the 150th, preceding its muster- 
roll, says, " On the morning of the 8th the brigade again 
charged the enemy at Laurel Hill, driving him into his works, 
and establishing a line of defence under severe fire." 

It may be well to state that while the fighting in the neigh- 
borhood of Spottsylvania Court-House, which lasted several 
days, is known by the general name of the " Battle of Spott- 
sylvania," the actions of the Fifth Corps on the 8th and 9th of 
May are better known to the troops of that corps as the " Battle 
of Laurel Hill." 

"At two P.M. of the 9th," continues Bates, "a charge was 
made by the entire division [Cutler's] upon the enemy's in- 
trenched line. The woods through which the charge was 
made had been fired, and the men were subjected to the double 
torment of the blazing fagots and the enemy's missiles. The 
assault was fruitless, and many of the dying were left to perish 
in the flames." 

Sergeant James H. Moore, of Company B, had charge of the 
colors of the regiment from the time of leaving Culpeper, and 
bore them through the exhausting struggles of the Wilderness 
and in the first day's encounters at Laurel Hill with commend- 
able gallantry. In the engagement of the 8th he received two 
disabling wounds, and was succeeded as color-bearer by Ser- 
geant Henry Wendler, of Company E, nicknamed the " Little 
Dutchman." The latter, in the several charges at Laurel Hill 
and Spottsylvania, greatly distinguished himself by his personal 
daring, drawing upon himself the favorable notice not only of 
his own regimental chief, but also of officers of other com- 
mands. On one occasion the colonel of a New York regiment, 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 95 

■which fought on the right of the 150th, called the attention of 
his color-sergeant to the admirable conduct of the Bucktail 
standard-bearer, and urged him to imitate his example ; but he 
only elicited the reply, " The d — d fool doesn't know any 
better !" 

During the forenoon of the loth the ground in front of the 
several corps was thoroughly reconnoitred, and about four 
o'clock P.M. a general assault was ordered, in which the 150th 
participated. Warren's troops, in advancing, were obliged to 
traverse a ravine thickly covered with heavy timber on the 
sides, and with a tangle of underbrush at the bottom which 
proved well-nigh impenetrable. Necessarily the ranks were 
much disordered in forcing their way through. To mount the 
farther slope through the dense forest and dislodge an enemy 
numerous and well posted, with protecting breastworks, was no 
holiday task. The attack failed, as might have been foreseen, 
and Warren recoiled with heavy loss. Still later, another as- 
sault was made, Hancock uniting his forces with Wright's and 
Warren's, for the purpose of relieving Upton, who in the pre- 
vious advance had gained a foothold on the enemy's line and 
clung tenaciously to it; and such was the impetuosity of the 
movement that portions of the works were speedily carried, 
though a counter-pressure on the part of the enemy as speedily 
compelled their abandonment. Upton, however, was freed from 
his isolated position, and the retiring troops were not pursued. 

Soon after the charge, Major Jones, who had been sitting on 
the ground with his back resting against a sapling, rose to his 
feet just as Captain Sigler approached, when the latter re- 
marked, " That's a good place," and seated himself on the same 
spot. The next instant a ricocheting solid shot struck the cap- 
tain on the elbow, injuring him severely and relegating him to 
the hospital for a long term of treatment. 

On the 1 2th, when Hancock's successful attack on the salient 
(known as the " Bloody Angle") took place, in which Johnson's 



196 ONE HLNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

rebel division was captured, both Wright and Warren joined 
in the movement, the latter without result. In his official re- 
port Warren says, " I also again assailed the enemy's intrench- 
ments, suffering heavy loss, but failed to get in. The enemy's 
direct and flank fire was too destructive. Lost very heavily. 
The enemy continuing to fire on the Second and Sixth Corps, 
I was compelled to withdraw Griffin's and Cutler's divisions 
and send them to the left to their support, where they again 
became engaged." 

Bates makes no note of Warren's futile attack, but remarks, 
" On the 1 2th of May the brigade moved to the support of the 
Sixth Corps, in front of that part of the enemy's line known as 
the ' Bloody Angle,' and lay at the front, exposed to a severe 
fire, until the morning of the 13th, when, the enemy having 
retired, it returned ^o its former position." 

Major Jones relates that, while the regiment lay in front of 
the salient that night, the officers kept guard, as did those of 
the entire brigade, in order to give the men a little rest. The 
musketry fire continued intermittently throughout the night, 
the balls flying over the sleeping forms of the men, but one of 
whom was killed, though several received injuries. 

Before quitting the position the major was invited by Lieu- 
tenant Rorer, of Company B, to look upon a spectacle so weird 
and startling that, by his own confession, nothing in his whole 
experience as a soldier could approach it in impressiveness and 
ghastliness of detail. Not far from the point in the angle where 
the enemy made his most persistent efforts to undo the hold of 
the Union troops on his works, and where a tree nearly a foot 
and a half in diameter had been cut down by musket-balls, 
.stood a caisson of a Sixth Corps battery, facing the fortifica- 
tions, and perhaps not more than a hundred yards away, with 
its six horses still attached, but sunk to the earth, dead ; the 
three drivers still in the saddle, likewise lifeless ; while on the 
boxes rested six cannoneers, back to back, perforated with bul- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 97 

lets, their inanimate bodies supporting one another almost in 
the attitude of duty. So natural was the position and appear- 
ance of these latter that the major could convince himself that 
they were not alive only by reaching up and touching them. 

Nothing could give a more realizing idea of the terrible storm 
of lead which swept this portion of the field than this statuesque 
group of the slain, and nothing more truly symbolize the per- 
fection of discipline which prevailed in the artillery arm of the 
service. It is unnecessary to ask by what adventure, or mis- 
adventure, they came to be exposed to the sudden whirlwind 
of rebel volleys : it was one of the accidents of war, met with 
sublime courage, every man dying at his post. 

From the 5th of May the fighting had been almost con- 
tinuous and of the most desperate character, and many officers 
as well as men, unequal to the long physical strain, from time 
to time gave evidence of demoralization, dropping back from 
their commands as opportunity offered, and trying by various 
pretexts to get into the hospitals. These were relentlessly 
gathered up by the provost guard, and returned to their regi- 
ments to be dealt with as their commanders might deem best 
for the service. The discipline and standing of the 150th are 
brought into high relief by the fact that several line-officers 
from other organizations, whose valor had been badly shaken 
by repeated conflicts, were sent, stripped of the insignia of their 
rank, by sentence of drum-head court-martial, and provided 
with the arms and accoutrements of private soldiers, to share 
the fortunes of the regiment and redeem, if possible, their 
clouded reputations. Major Jones was quietly instructed to 
keep them in the " fore-front of battle" and maintain a close 
watch upon their conduct, as upon his report, after a giv^en time, 
would depend their dismissal from the army or their restoration 
to their former places. This unique squad joined the 150th on 
the 13th of May, and was known as "Company Q." It is a 
pleasure to state that in subsequent engagements all of these 



198 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

delinquents acquitted themselves so creditably that they were 
eventually permitted to return to their old commands. 

On the night of May 13 the Fifth and Sixth Corps, Warren 
leading, moved to the extreme left and crossed the river Ny, 
encountering many difficulties owing to the intense darkness 
and almost impassable condition of the roads. On the morn- 
ing of the 14th, Wright's troops had severe fighting in working 
up into position on Burnside's left. Lee changed his lines so 
as to confront Warren and Wright, and Hancock, having no 
longer an enemy facing him, moved in rear of the centre of the 
new line. At dawn of the iSth, Hancock and Wright, who in 
the night had returned to their old positions on Burnside's 
right, attacked Lee's left flank in the hope of dislodging it; but 
Lee seems to have anticipated the undertaking, and they en- 
countered the enemy in such strength that the assault failed. 
This practically ended operations at Spottsylvania. 

The Union army, although in no large measure successful, 
was everywhere the aggressor, and Lee stood strictly on the de- 
fensive. This in itself was a great gain to Grant's forces, filling 
them with a confidence which never afterwards deserted them, 
and which was sure to culminate some day in victory. 

Again referring to Hospital Steward Kieffer's invaluable 
weekly reports, it will be seen that the 150th shared in the 
hardest of the fighting from the 8th to the 14th of May, and 
took credit on the rolls for a long list of casualties. On the lat- 
ter date the mean strength of the regiment, which one week before 
was two hundred and seventy-six, had been reduced to ninety- 
three. As only an insignificant number had been " laid off" by 
sickness, and comparatively few fell into the hands of the enemy, 
death and wounds were the main factors in this notable reduction. 

Colonel Fox, in " Regimental Losses," fixes the number of 
the killed and mortally wounded of the 150th, in this period of 
six days, at fifteen, — viz., on May 8, five; on the loth, six; on 
the 1 2th, four. These figures are doubtless correct. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 1 99 

The following is the list of the killed and mortally wounded, 
so far as the writer has been able to ascertain the names : • 

Company A. 
Sergeant Edward Austin, May 8. 
Sergeant Gabriel Thompson, May 10; died May 18. 
Private Joseph Fowler, May 10. 

Company B. 
Private Jacob M. Wartenby, May 8; died May 13. 

Cotnpany D. 
Corporal William Donachy, May 8. 

Cotnpany E. 
Corporal Isaac Doan, May 12. 

Company F. 
Private William A. Garrett, May 10. 

Company G. 
Private Luther M. Adams, May 10; died May 20. 
Private Philetus Southwick, May 10. 

Cotnpany H. 
Private John Bickerstaff, May 12 ; died May 13. 
Private Harlan P. Fields, May 8. 
Private Andrew Lee, May 12. 

Company I. 
Private Alexander McFarland, May 8. 

No tribute could be paid to the courage and worth of all 
these men in excess of their real deserts. Of Sergeant Austin 
it may be said that, by his intelligence and solid, soldierly vir- 
tues, he had not only won the esteem of his immediate officers, 
but had attracted the attention of the regimental commander. 
Had he lived, he was in a fair way to win a commission before 
the close of hostilities, and the honor would have been well 
bestowed. 



200 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Corporal Donachy, who in the field, as at home, bore the 
nickname " Pointer," was as unselfish, patriotic, and brave a 
soldier as could be found in the Army of the Potomac. When, 
on the night of the arrival of the regiment at Chancellorsville, 
volunteers were called for to go on picket, with the almost ab- 
solute certainty of being fired upon before the line could be 
reached, he was the first man to respond ; and whenever any 
particularly dangerous duty offered, none so ready to undertake 
it as Corporal Donachy. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 20I 



CHAPTER XXI. 

THE AFFAIR AT THE NORTH ANNA — TOTOPOTOMOY. 

Finding Lee indisposed to come out of his works and take 
the chances of a general engagement, General Grant resolved 
upon a further left-flank movement, in which Hancock took the 
lead on the night of the 20th. On the 21st, Warren's corps 
marched to Guiney's Station, and on the 22d to Harris's Store, 
west of Milford, at which latter point Hancock rested that day. 
On the morning of the 23d, Warren moved in the direction of 
Jericho Ford, on the North Anna, which he reached early in 
the afternoon. Griffin's division crossed first, wading the 
stream and deploying beyond. Cutler's division followed, 
forming on Griffin's right, the Iron Brigade connecting with 
the latter, with the Bucktail Brigade (commanded by Colonel 
Bragg since May 7) on the extreme right. Crawford's division 
took position on Griffin's left. 

Of this movement Adjutant William Wright, of the 150th, 
says, " We crossed the North Anna in the advance of the Fifth 
Corps, on the extreme right of the line, so far as I know. 
There was no opposition, but we expected it, and therefore 
passed over in a great hurry. Having been out on the flank 
all of the preceding day, as skirmishers, and having made a 
very hard march that day, the men were bent with fatigue, and 
some who had never before complained now declared they could 
not go any farther. All the same, they went. We crossed at 
or near a mill, or mills, of some kind, one of which was un- 
doubtedly a saw-mill, for tliere were piles of slabs and some 
shedding roofed with slabs, all of which were taken and thrown 



202 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

into the river, one on top of another, until they formed a bridge, 
which we quickly crossed. The river was not wide, and com- 
paratively shallow. We then deployed and advanced a short 
distance, but were halted for a brief interval, when we again 
moved forward perhaps six or seven hundred yards. Here we 
were again halted, apparently to go into camp for the night, 
probably in pursuance of an order originating in the brain of some 
very tired man, for we had hardly got settled down — some with 
dry wood on their shoulders for a quick fire, others with live 
chickens, etc., the spoils of the flanking of the day before (I 
well remember one fine-looking rooster that the major and I 
were promised a part of for supper) — when we had an order to 
deploy and advance to the woods in our front, which we obeyed 
with much complaining. Before reaching the woods I dis- 
mounted and gave my horse to 'Jimmy' Wilson, of Company 
B, — who was fairly staggering in his efforts to keep up, — to 
take to the rear, thinking that as soon as we got into the woods 
we would find the ' rebs,' as we generally did in all the woods 
we had been in since leaving Culpeper." 

Here the adjutant's narrative must be interrupted and supple- 
mented by a few items of information from other sources, as he 
omits to say exactly what occurred on reaching the timber, 
which, as he suspected, was alive with rebels. 

Wilcox's division of four brigades was there, with Heth's 
division in support, and, having failed to break Griffin's well- 
posted line, moved to the right and furiously assaulted the Iron 
Brigade, which was just going into position. Taken unawares, 
and unable to withstand the shock, the Iron Brigade fell back 
pell-mell towards the river, and the heavy columns of the 
enemy were precipitated upon the Bucktail Brigade, a great 
portion of which also gave way and joined in the disorderly 
retreat. Many of these troops never stopped their flight until 
they had crossed the improvised bridge or floundered through 
the stream, although Stine states that the Iron Brigade re- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 203 

formed in rear of Captain Mink's battery (H, New York 
Light Artillery). The 150th did better, and made for itself an 
enviable name that evening. Although borne back from the 
woods by the sudden retrograde movement of the rest of 
Cutler's line, it did not share in the panic, but soon made a 
determined stand, inflicting severe loss upon the advancing 
enemy. Then, seeing his little force flanked on either hand, 
Major Jones gave the command to retreat. Sergeant Beers, of 
Company G, who had charge of the colors, brought them to 
the adjutant, saying that he was entirely "played out," and 
feared he could not take care of them. 

To resume the adjutant's narrative : " There was no one near 
enough to give the colors to, and, as no time was to be lost, I 
took them rapidly to the rear, and had them when I crossed a 
wide gully which my horse had refused to jump on the way out, 
but which I had no trouble in clearing easily on the return. I 
may have given them to some one before Major Jones called for 
them, a moment later, as we approached Captain Mink's New 
York battery. The major planted the colors and formed the 
regiment, and at the same time told Captain Mink to get his bat- 
tery to work, as we had come to stay. In an instant the regiment 
and battery were at work, and the rebel advance was checked. 
At least three or four times they charged, but we drove them 
back every time. It was hot work on a hot day, and some of the 
battery men gave out and were replaced by some of our men, 
or perhaps it was the ruts produced by the recoil of the guns 
that made the pieces so hard to handle that the cannoneers re- 
quired assistance. With the exception of a single color-bearer 
of the Iron Brigade, carrying an Indiana, Wisconsin, or Michi- 
gan State flag (it was not the stars and stripes), and about fifteen 
or twenty men of the 121st Pennsylvania, no troops were there 
but the 1 50th. I looked anxiously for assistance-in the shape of 
re-enforcements, but saw none except a battery of artillery, which 
took position on the other side of the river, some distance to our 



204 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

right, and may have fired a round or two during the enemy's last 
charge. After the battle was over a large regiment — I think, 
heavy artillery — formed and lay down in our immediate rear. 
During the fight there was absolutely no one other than Mink's 
battery and ourselves, except those already mentioned, who took 
any part; not even a staff-officer of either division or brigade. 

"Just after the heavy artillery regiment moved in behind us, 
General Cutler, with a part of his staff, rode up to us and com- 
plimented us highly, extending the compliment, however, to 
the brigade." 

The conduct of the regiment on this occasion won Captain 
Mink's undying gratitude, and availed to settle a brigadier- 
general's stars upon Colonel Bragg's deserving shoulders. 

A special order warmly commending the 150th was issued 
(Adjutant Wright thinks) by General Warren; at all events, 
such an order came down to the regiment from either corps or 
division head-quarters, and it is to be deplored that a copy of 
it, which was long treasured by Major Jones as one of his 
choicest possessions, was in some manner lost or destroyed. 

The pleasant features of the engagement at the North Anna 
are marred by the recollection of the death of Sergeant Cyrus 
W. Baldwin, of Company G, a most intelligent, conscientious, 
and exemplary soldier, who was already " gazetted" for a lieu- 
tenancy; the mortal wounding of Private- William Gray, of 
Company B, who died two days later ; and the more or less 
serious disablement of many valuable men. 

By the return of convalescents from the hospitals and the 
restoration to duty of the slightly wounded in the Wilderness 
battles the strength of the command had been increased from 
ninety- three, on May 14, to one hundred and forty-eight, on 
May 21. A week later the number had been reduced to one 
hundred and twenty-two, chiefly by the losses at the North Anna. 

Major Jones relates that before advancing to the woods, ex- 
pecting to bivouac where they were, the men busied themselves 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 205 

with preparations for supper. His own man, " Rody," who has 
so frequently appeared in these pages, had boiled a pot of coffee, 
which he gathered up and carried with him when the order to 
advance was executed, thinking, as no enemy had yet appeared, 
that the troops would soon stop for the night, and the major 
would then have his coffee. When the enemy opened fire, one 
of the first bullets penetrated the coffee-pot in " Rody's" hands, 
and the fluid, which was still at the boiling-point, spurting 
against one of his legs, he was convinced that he was wounded, 
and, dropping the disabled vessel, struck madly for the rear. 
After fording the stream and discovering that not only was the 
enemy not in pursuit, but that his limbs were still in good, ser- 
viceable condition, he found his way back to the regiment. In 
narrating his experience to the major, he was honest enough to 
state that he had splashed through the river. 

" But why did you wade when you might have gone across 
on the bridge ?" asked the major. 

" You see, the bridge was too darned full of officers and 
doctors," was his prompt and amusing reply. 

On the 24th, Wright's corps crossed at Jericho and took 
position on the right of Warren. Hancock crossed the same 
morning, a little we'^t of the Fredericksburg Railroad ; while 
Burnside remained on the north side of the river, being con- 
fronted by Lee, in force, at Ox Ford, Lee's army formed an 
angle whose point rested on the stream opposite Burnside, with 
its sides sloping south-east and south-west. Hancock, with 
his own corps and Potter's division of the Ninth, faced the 
enemy's south-eastern line ; while Wright and Warren, with 
Crittenden's division of the Ninth Corps added, faced the line 
extending to the south-west. This left Burnside, with a single 
division, north of the stream. 

This was probably the most ticklish position ever occupied 
by the Army of the Potomac, and the wonder is that Lee — 
seeing that his antagonist could not strengthen either flank 



2o6 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

without entailing on the re-enforcing column a march of many 
miles, in which the river would have to be twice crossed — did 
not attack one or the other wing and sweep it from the field. 
General Grant, recognizing the perilous situation of his forces, 
and the doubtful issue of any attack which he might order, 
after straddling the North Anna for two days like a pair of tongs, 
concluded to withdraw to the north side, and again endeavor to 
interpose his army between Richmond and Lee by a rapid move- 
ment by the left flank. Beginning with the extreme right, he re- 
tired the corps of Warren and Wright, masking the withdrawal 
by a brilliant diversion at that end of the line by Wilson's divi- 
sion of cavalry, which gave the rebel commander the impression 
that a serious effort was about to be made to turn his left. 

This was on the 26th. On that day. Sergeant Henry Laut 
and Privates John Houseman, Frank H. Elvidge, and Israel H. 
Thomas, of Company A, together with others of the regiment 
who had been captured at Gettysburg and had passed a long 
term of imprisonment on Bell Island, returned to the command, 
having come through by way of Fredericksburg as part of a 
provisional battalion composed of exchanged prisoners, con- 
valescents, and re-enlisted veterans. 

It is whispered as a part of the secret 'history of the cam- 
paign of 1864, by officers who were on Meade's staff or at his 
head-quarters, that General Grant was solely responsible for the 
movement on the North Anna, which might easily have resulted 
in disaster to the national arms. The story goes that the gen- 
eral, in an interview with Meade soon after the events of Spott- 
sylvania, expressed dissatisfaction at the failure of his troops to 
break Lee's lines, and made invidious comparisons between the 
Eastern army and his Western command, which latter seldom 
failed to execute his plans successfully in spite of every ob- 
stacle. Meade, piqued by his superior's words and manner, 
replied, " Well, general, in the next movement I would like 
you to take the command and control the disposition and 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 20/ 

assaults of the troops." General Grant took him at his word, 
and during the first operations at the North Anna, Meade and 
his staff enjoyed a holiday, broken on the second day by an 
urgent request fi'om Grant to his subordinate to resume his 
usual functions. The tale is given for what it is worth, with 
the single comment that it is based on the statements of officers 
still living, who were a part of Meade's staff at the time, and 
whose word in other matters is unquestioned. 

Frank H. Elvidge, of Company A, had the commendable 
habit of noting in a pocket diary, from day to day, the move- 
ments of the regiment, and occasionally his individual views of 
things. On May 26 he wrote, " Reached our regiment after a 
very fatiguing march. Found seven men in the company, with 
a corporal in command. Now there are ten, with Laut in 
charge. Started out just after dark and marched until about 
half-past two o'clock, when we reached Hanover Junction. 
Drew rations for three days. It is very hard marching, being 
so muddy. Army in good spirits and everything going on right. 
" May 27. — Pulled out at daybreak. Recrossed the North 
Anna (going south) and came around the ' rebs' ' right flank, 
making a very large circuit. The Sixth Corps started yester- 
day. Foraging plenty, but it has been a very hard march, with 
no rest. Made about twenty-seven miles. The rebels have 
fallen back from Hanover Junction. 

" May 28. — Crossed the Pamunkey River about noon to-day 
(Saturday) and entered the ' Peninsula.' Marched a few miles 
from the river, threw up rifle-pits, and put up for the rest of the day. 
" May 2g. — Moved out about a mile and a half, and took up 
another position. Grant is moving on slowly, intrenching as 
he goes. Ran out of rations altogether, and had to go back a 
mile and a half for beef, which is all we got. Our regiment 
and the I42d went out on picket. Heavy firing all along the 
line. All of Lee's army is in front of us now. Within about 
sixteen miles of Richmond. 



208 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

" May JO. — Relieved by the First Division, Ninth Corps, and 
moved our h'ne out about a mile. The rebels, in heavy force, 
charged the works of the Pennsylvania Reserve, but were cut 
up terribly and ran back a mile and a half The artillery did 
the worst work, scattering them in every direction. We were 
kept moving up and down the road half a dozen times, when 
we took position and threw up intrenchments. Drew three 
days' rations. Grantz came back yesterday, making eleven 
men (in Company A)." 

The engagement referred to as having taken place on the 
30th was that of Bethesda Church, being a part of the battle of 
Totopotomoy, in which Hancock's and Warren's troops were 
chiefly concerned. Hancock struck the enemy at Totopotomoy 
Creek, and Warren, who was on the Shady Grove Church road, 
near Huntley Corners, was attacked by Early, with the result 
that one brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserve was temporarily 
thrown into confusion. To relieve the pressure on Warren, 
Hancock assaulted and carried the rebel breastworks, and, 
Warren pushing forward at the same time, Early was driven 
back a mile or more with heavy loss. 

This was the last fight in which the Pennsylvania Reserve 
participated, its term of enlistment expiring that day. On the 
following day the division started for home. Without special 
orders or previous understanding, the other troops of the corps 
fell into line and presented arms as these veterans of many 
campaigns, full of scars and honors, marched past ; and as the 
notes of " Home Again," from the band of the Reserve, rang 
in their ears, the cheeks of hundreds of veterans who remained 
were moistened by tears of which they had no reason to be 
ashamed. 

On the 31st, Elvidge pencilled in his diary, "One rebel 
major-general and one colonel commanding brigade were 
killed. Buried all the dead, — that is, the pieces, for they ivere 
all blown to atoms by canister T 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 209 



CHAPTER XXII. 

FROM COLD HARBOR TO PETERSBURG. 

On the 30th and 31st of May, Grant's army extended from the 
Shady Grove Church road, on which Warren's left rested, about 
three miles south of Totopotomoy Creek, in the direction of 
Hanover Court-House, to a point about six miles south-east of 
that place. Wright's corps occupied the extreme right, with 
Hancock next, and Burnside reaching to Warren's right. Sheri- 
dan guarded the Union left with two divisions of cavalry, and 
Wilson's cavalry division hovered about the right flank. 

On the 31st, Sheridan took and held Cold Harbor, Wright's 
corps, which had been withdrawn by way of the rear of the 
army, joining him on the ist of June, making the position 
secure. In the afternoon, Smith's corps (the Eighteenth), of 
Butler's command, arrived from White House and took posi- 
tion on the right of the Sixth (Wright's). On the same day, 
Lee, having become aware of the withdrawal of the Sixth 
Corps, began at an early hour to make new dispositions, and 
Anderson's command was discovered skirting the front of 
Warren, who was ordered to attack. Warren's troops ad- 
vanced, — Elvidge says " about half a mile," — but, with the ex- 
ception of considerable artillery firing on both sides, there was 
no serious engagement. The batteries knew little rest all day, 
and the enemy's shells did a good deal of damage. Sergeants 
Henry B. Evans and J. H, Clevenstine, of Company F, were 
both mortally wounded, the former dying two days later (June 
3, — Elvidge says June 2) and the latter on the 12th of the 
month. Others who were wounded were Sergeant Charles T. 

14 



2IO ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Street, of F, and Private James Knittle, of D, the latter losing 
a leg. 

The Sixth and Eighteenth Corps advanced to the assault of 
the lines in their front, at Cold Harbor, about an hour before 
sunset, and captured and held the first line of the enemy's rifle- 
pits. " While this was going on," says General Grant, " the 
enemy charged Warren three separate times with vigor, but was 
repulsed each time with loss. . . . There was also an attack 
upon Hancock's and Burnside's corps at the same time, but it 
was feeble, and probably only intended to relieve Anderson, 
who was being pressed by Wright and Smith." 

Elvidge makes no mention in his diary of the charges on 
Warren's front, but says, " Under cover of the night, advanced 
the line again about three hundred yards. Busy all night, work- 
ing at the breastworks. Exact loss in the brigade not known." 

On the 2d, Hancock's corps moved to the left of Wright, and 
Warren's line was extended to the left to connect with Smith. 
This change probably did not affect the position of the 150th, 
as, after stating that " heavy fighting still continues, carried on 
mostly by artillery, although we are troubled a great deal by 
rebel sharp-shooters," Elvidge closes his notes for the day by 
saying, " Rained all night. Strengthened our works." 

Early on the following morning the Second, Sixth, and Eigh- 
teenth Corps moved against the enemy, gaining his outer de- 
fences in places, in others meeting with a disastrous rebuff, 
though the end of the principal action, which lasted perhaps 
two hours, saw the Union lines considerably advanced. As 
Lee's army had the advantage of position, and was for the most 
part sheltered by woods and abundant rifle-pits, its losses were 
vastly lighter than those suffered by Grant's forces, which, in 
the brief space named, aggregated many thousands. Warren's 
and Burnside's corps, forming the right of the line, were at no 
time seriously engaged, though they also pressed forward some 
distance and protected themselves by breastworks. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 211 

General Grant, with his characteristic frankness, admits that 
this assault was without sufficient compensation, but shrewdly 
adds that " the enemy was not cheered by the occurrence suf- 
ficiently to induce him to take the offensive." 

On the same day the 4th Delaware was added to Bragg's 
brigade, making six regiments, the others being the 12 1st, I42d, 
143d, 149th, and 150th Pennsylvania. 

Skirmishing and heavy artillery firing continued throughout 
the day and evening, but the positions of the two armies re- 
mained unchanged. 

A movement to and across the James River having been 
decided upon, new dispositions of some of the corps were made 
on the 4th and 5th, Burnside going into line between Warren 
and Smith, and Hancock extending his left to the Chickahominy. 
At eleven o'clock on the night of the 5th, Warren withdrew and 
started for Cold Harbor, arriving there on the morning of the 
6th, and resting that day. Bragg's command was transferred 
to the First Division, Fifth Corps, becoming the First Brigade, 
and the 187th Pennsylvania, a large new regiment, was substi- 
tuted for the 4th Delaware. This brigade was thenceforth 
known as the " Keystone," Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, of 
the 20th Maine, succeeding Bragg in the command. 

On the 7th the brigade was located about a mile from the 
Chickahominy and about five miles from Bottom's Bridge, and 
for the next two days the 150th performed picket duty along 
the sluggish stream. On the opposite bank was the 24th 
Georgia, between whose men and the Bucktails pleasant rela- 
tions had existed on the Rappahannock, below Fredericks- 
burg, in the early spring. While thus engaged, some of the 
members of the country companies, who had had experience 
in the lumber camps of North-western Pennsylvania, discovered 
a bee-tree, and resolved to possess themselves of the honey. 
Axes were promptly brought into play, but their resounding 
strokes soon created a hubbub on the rebel side of the stream. 



212 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

and several officers appeared, who called out to 'the choppers 
to desist or they would be fired upon. An explanation was 
offered, but the gray-coats were suspicious and declined to ac- 
cept it. The cutting ceased for a time, but the temptation to 
secure the honey was strong, and by a crafty application of the 
axe at intervals, one or two strokes at a time, the tree was 
finally brought to the ground. The entire line shared in the 
spoils, and army bread was never eaten with a better relish 
than during those two days on the Chickahominy, 

On the night of the 12th, Warren's corps crossed the stream 
on a pontoon bridge, at Long Bridge, which latter, as well as 
all the other bridges, had been burnt by the rebels. The 
pickets, including a detail from the 150th, had been left on the 
line, and, after the withdrawal of the army, were in imminent 
danger of capture. They succeeded, however, in getting out 
of the swamp safely, and those belonging to the 150th rejoined 
the regiment about four o'clock on the morning of the 13th, 
near Dispatch Station. Here a halt was made until dusk, when 
the march was resumed and continued until two a.m. of the 
14th. At daylight the troops were again in motion, and, with 
the exception of a brief rest at Charles City Cross Roads, kept 
plodding along by way of Charles City Court-House until the 
James River was reached. Here a pontoon bridge had been 
laid, and Hancock's corps was already crossing, using boats as 
well as the bridge. 

On June 16, Warren's corps was carried over in transports 
from Windmill Point to Guiney's Landing, and made a rapid 
march towards Petersburg, halting about nine p.m. at Prince 
George Court-House long enough to make coffee. Then a 
fresh start was made, and before midnight the entire corps was 
at the front, ready to support the operations already begun by 
Smith and Hancock. A number of intrenched lines and redans 
had been carried by the Eighteenth and Second Corps, with 
considerable loss on both sides ; but the enemy quickly estab- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 21 3 

lished himself in fresh works and in strongholds which had 
long been prepared for the defence of Petersburg. 

In the general advance of the Second, Ninth, and Fifth Corps, 
on the morning of June 18, the Fifth was on the left, and had 
the greatest distance to traverse, — probably not less than a mile 
and a half The ground was very irregular, being broken by 
ravines and by the Norfolk Railroad cut, which made the 
movement very laborious, and necessitated some readjusting of 
the lines before the final dash upon the enemy's works. Grif- 
fin's division, of which the 150th was a part, formed for the 
assault under cover of a slight elevation about three hundred 
yards from the rebel forts, and elaborate instructions were given 
to brigade and regimental commanders as to the manner of 
their advance and the objective point of each. To the 150th 
naturally fell the duty of leading the way as skirmishers for the 
brigade, and Major Jones was ordered at a given signal — the 
firing of a certain battery — to move rapidly across the first ra- 
vine in front to the brow of a rising ground beyond, from which 
— if the supporting lines followed closely and in good order — 
he was to advance precipitately across a second ravine and 
press on until he struck the rebel works. These were to be 
carried, if possible; or, if that could not be accomplished, the 
nearest elevation was to be held and fortified. At the signal, — 
which was given about four p.m., — Major Jones's command 
sprang nimbly through the hollow to the summit of the little 
hill, and seeing the long line of the 187th Pennsylvania follow- 
ing in admirable array, with the other supports close upon their 
heels, dashed swiftly into the second ravine and up its farther 
slope to the very base of the formidable earthwork which was 
subsequently blown up by Burnside's famous mine. During 
this time the enemy was not idle. The forts and connecting 
intrenchments were strongly manned, and from every point 
dominating the scene of the assault came shot and shell and 
rattling grape and canister, coupled with a murderous fire of 



214 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

musketry, against which no troops could make an effective 
stand. While the 150th escaped with comparatively little loss 
in passing the last ravine, owing to its formation as skirmishers, 
no sooner had the 187th and the succeeding line of smaller 
regiments gained the top of the rising ground, already men- 
tioned, than they began to melt away under the merciless 
storm of iron and lead. Under the superb leadership of 
Colonel Chamberlain, who had won the confidence and affec- 
tion of the brigade, they pressed on almost to the enemy's 
works ; but at this critical point the colonel was dangerously 
wounded, and, exposed to an enfilading as well as direct fire, 
which strewed the ground with scores of dead or disabled 
officers and men at every moment, they were forced to retire 
to the protection of the little ridge which they had just sur- 
mounted. It was a gallant effort, and, although unavailing, 
commanded the admiration of all who witnessed it. For his 
part in the action, Colonel Chamberlain was promoted on the 
field, by General Grant, to a brigadier-generalship, and later 
won the rank of major-general chiefly through the work of this 
sanguinary day. In mentioning the colonel's promotion. Bates, 
in his "History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers," adds, "The 
troops received the warmest commendation for their valor from 
General Griffin." 

General Humphreys, in his book, " The Virginia Campaign 
of '64 and '65," says, " General Warren's assault was well 
made, some of Griffin's men being killed within twenty feet of 
the enemy's works, but it was no more successful than the 
others. His losses were very severe. Among the desperately 
wounded was Colonel Chamberlain, of the 20th Maine, who 
led his brigade under a destructive fire." 

General Chamberlain, in an interview with a newspaper re- 
porter, the details of which were published in the New York 
^F(?r/^ of January 15, 1893, after mentioning the consolidation of 
the First and Fifth Army Corps in the spring of 1864, said of 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 21 5 

his own command, " It consisted of Doubleday's division of 
veterans (Roy Stone's and Rowley's old brigades), to which 
was added a fine new regiment, the 187th Penns5dvania, and 
these made up a brigade. I was called to command it while 
I held the rank of colonel in another brigade. // was zuith 
this magjiificent command that I made the nozu famous charge at 
Petersburg, June 18, 1864. 

" I had already carried an advanced position across the Nor- 
folk Railroad, which brought me close upon the enemy's main 
works, and secured myself by bringing up four batteries of ar- 
tillery, when an order came to charge the main lines of Peters- 
burg with my command. Knowing well the fruitless slaughter 
this would involve, I boldly sent back a written protest, but 
added that I would willingly make the attack if supported by 
the whole army, as would be necessary in order to carry the city 
by assault. 

" For a time it looked as if my suggestions would be ignored, 
but I was re-enforced, and after the fight it was demonstrated 
that my refusal to obey the orders had really been the means of 
winning the victory. It was for this action that General Grant 
promoted me from colonel to brigadier-general. General Grant 
afterwards told me that he had never made a promotion on the 
field of battle before." 

Of the esteem in which the 150th was held by General Cham- 
berlain some idea may be formed from a letter written by him 
October 11, 1867, addressed to Captain A. J. Rorer, of Company 
B, in which he says, " I remember your regiment and its heroic 
and gallant service on that terrible day of June, and every 
man of it is dear to me." 

Well might the general speak thus feelingly of the little 1 50th, 
as it was perhaps the only regiment in the entire division that 
did not cede a foot of ground which it had won that day. 
Planted near the base of the huge rebel fort, the men lay in 
comparative security from the fire of its occupants, the muzzles 



2l6 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

of whose cannon could not be sufficiently depressed to bear 
upon them ; while every enterprising soldier of the garrison 
who showed his head and musket above the parapet became the 
target of their unerring rifles. It was a hot place, however, for 
the Union guns at various points were trained upon the fort, 
while an incessant flight of bullets from the infantry lines upon 
the ridge in their rear was almost as full of menace to the Buck- 
tail skirmishers as to the enemy; so that the weary command 
waited with impatience for the coming of night, which promised 
at least partial relief from the double peril to which it was ex- 
posed. At midnight an officer from the 83d Pennsylvania, 
who had crept out to ascertain the exact location of the 150th, 
reported to the major that his regiment (the 83d) had been de- 
tailed for picket duty, to relieve the skirmishers, and he would 
bring it out as promptly as the difficulties of the situation would 
permit. About three o'clock on the morning of the 19th the 
pickets arrived and, man by man, moved noiselessly into the 
little shelters already found or excavated by their predeces- 
sors. Day was dawning when the 150th was finally permitted 
to retire. To withdraw without loss was no easy matter, in the 
face of a vigilant foe ; but by creeping back to the ravine, feet 
foremost, and running rapidly to the right, the little band soon 
gained a narrow wood road which partially screened it, ena- 
bling it to pass without serious accident within the lines of the 
corps. 

The position to which the regiment was assigned was a short 
distance in rear of the first line of battle, where it was much 
exposed to the fire of rebel sharp-shooters, with no opportunity 
of replying. After several of his men had been killed or dan- 
gerously wounded, Major Jones sent a request to Colonel Til- 
den, of the i6th Maine, who had been assigned to the command 
of the brigade after Colonel Chamberlain was disabled, to be 
allowed to move a short distance to a more protected spot, as 
the regiment was not actively engaged. The privilege was 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 21/ 

refused with a boorish exhibition of discourtesy for which the 
officer's condition was no excuse. 

On the 1 8th of June the mean strength of the regiment, 
which a week before was quoted at one hundred and sixty- 
eight, had fallen to one hundred and ten, — an appreciable 
reduction in so small a body of men. 

The following are the names of those killed or mortally 
wounded on the i8th and 19th: 

Sergeant James W, Slocum, Company H, killed June 18. 

Corporal Robert Sloan, Company E, killed June 18. 

Private Joseph Guinen, Company H. mortally wounded June 18; died 

June 20. 
Sergeant Henry Wendler, Company E, mortally wounded June 19; died 

July 3- 
Of the many wounded on the same dates, the names of only 
a few have been ascertained. These are : 

Private Stephen P. Harmer, Company A, 
Lieutenant John H. Harter, Company D. 
Corporal Joseph Hippert, Company F. 
Sergeant Charles S. Reisinger,* Company H. 
Corporal Leverett Lowe, Company H. 
Private Washington McMillen, Company H. 

Lists of the killed or mortally wounded — so far as ascertain- 
able — in the various engagements beginning with the Wilder- 
ness, May 5, have been given in their proper places. In the list 
which follows are included the names of those who are known to 
have been wounded, captured, or missing, from May 5 to June 8. 
The greater number of casualties occurred in the Wilderness, at 
Laurel Hill, and at Spottsylvania, but the date is in most cases 
uncertain, and is given only when well authenticated : 

Company A. 

Sergeant Albert Meley, May 5 ; foot. 

Corporal George A, Dixon, May 12; arm. 

* Sergeant Reisinger mourned the loss of a foot. 



2l8 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Corporal Thomas McCombs, May lo ; foot. 
Private Isaiah B. Dewees, May lo. 
Private Edwin G. Harmer, May lo ; foot. 
Private William S. Moore, May 12 ; head. 
Private Jacob Myers, May 5 ; foot. 
Private Richard L. Sharpless, May 5 ; hand 
Private William F. Williams, May 10. 

Captured or Missing. 
Private Nathan Palmer, May 5. 
Private John Zippier, May 5. 

Company B, 
Sergeant James H. Moore, May 8. 
Corporal William Baker. 
Corporal William H. Craig. 
Corporal John Dedier. 
Corporal Richard Dunckley. 
Private Patrick Mulhatton. 
(None missing.) 

Company C. 
Sergeant Hoover J. Shannon. 
Corporal John W. Amey. 
Corporal Samuel Gilmore. 
Corporal Peter Snyder. 
Private Robert Brooks. 
Private Amos Chipman. 
Private Andrew Consolo. 
Private Hiram Consolo. 
Private James O. Looker. 
Private Samuel H. Roberts. 
Private James F. Shellito. 
Private Abraham Stainbrook. 
Private Jesse D. Taylor. 
Private Clinton Waid. 
Private Alexander P. Walters. 

Captured or Missing. 
Corporal Rodney Conner. 
Corporal William W. Seely. 
Private William G. Barr (also wounded). 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 219 

Private Isaiah Clark. 
Private Abijah R. Fross.- 
Private Edgar Saeger. 
Private Robert Shellito. 

Company D. 
First Lieutenant John H. Harter, May 10. 
Sergeant Samuel H. Himmelwright. 
Corporal Albert Foster. 
Private James A. Bell. 
Private Adam Deal. 
Private John Donachy. 
Private William Eberhart. 
Private Jacob Fillman. 
Private Simon E. Foust. 
Private James Knittle. 
Private Simon Malehorn. 
Private Jacob Prutzman. 
Private Joel Reedy. 
Private William Stitzer. 

(None missing.) 

Company E. 
Sergeant Joseph Walden, May 24. 
Corporal Frank B. Jaggard. 
Private Lorenzo Keech. 
Private William J. Vandegrift. 

Captured or Missing. 
Corporal Frederick Leiser. 
Corporal Stephen Lewis. 
Private John O'Harra, killed on "dead line," Ander- 

sonville, August 23, 1864. 
Private Henry Schaeffer. 

Company F. 
Sergeant William R. Ramsey, May 6 ; lost leg. 
Corporal John D. Harris. 
Private Joseph P. Bailey. 
Private John K. Himes. 
Private Joseph Hippert. 



220 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Private Garrett C. Kean. 
Private Samuel L. Vanderslice. 
Private George T. Wilson. 

Captured or Missing. 
Private Edward Steck. 
Private James Stevenson. 

Conipafiy G. 
Private Putnam Barber. 
Private Albert L. Lamphear. 
Private George Loomis. 
Private Samuel L. Provin. 

Captured or Missitig. 

Corporal Henry M. Kinney. Wilderness. 
Private William P. Garner. Wilderness. 
Private John Mead. 

Company H. 

Sergeant James T. Reed. 
Corporal William Adams. Wilderness. 
Corporal Charles Flick. Spottsylvania. 
Corporal Samuel G. Robbins. Wilderness. 
Private Lafayette Abbott. Wilderness. 
Private Lorenzo Abbott. Wilderness. 
Private Jeremiah Clark. Spottsylvania. 
Private John W. Clark. Wilderness. 
Private Samuel Cooper. 
Private Joseph Curty. 
Private Lafayette Derby. Wilderness. 
Private Joseph Haas. Wilderness. 
Private William C. Koonce. Wilderness. 
Private William McKay. Wilderness. 
Private Andrew McDermott. Spottsylvania. 
Private Alonzo Markley. Wilderness. 
Private Robert Robb. Laurel Hill. 
Private Samuel Smith. Laurel Hill. 
Private Joseph Smock. Spottsylvania. 
Private Asa Swift. Wilderness. 
Private Thomas J. Wilder. Spottsylvania. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 221 

Captured or Missing. 
Corporal Samuel G. Robbins, wounded May 6. 
Private Dennis Baily. Wilderness, May 5. 
Private Stephen Maryatt. Wilderness, May 5. 
Private Pell T. Teed. Spottsylvania, May 12. 

Company I. 
Sergeant Gilbert Gordon. 
Corporal Peter Fink. 
Private Esquire Campbell. 
Private Moses Cook. 
Private William S. Coyle. 
Private Almond Delamater. Wilderness. 
Private Morris M. Freeman. 
Private William H. Hill, 
Private Peter S. Kepler. 
Private Phares D. Kepler. 
Private John Koehler. 
Private H. Banning Odell. 
Private Henry V. Proctor. 
Private Jesse M. Smith. 

Captured or Missing. 
Private Daniel Farrington. 

Total wounded, 95. 

Total captured or missing, 23. 



222 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

FORT SEDGWICK (OR " HELL") — MAKING CONVERTS WELDON 

RAILROAD. 

Between eight and nine o'clock on the evening of June 20, 
Warren's troops were reheved by Burnside's corps, a colored 
division taking the place of Griffin's, which latter marched to 
corps head-quarters and bivouacked. On the morning of the 
2 1st the division moved towards the left, and, as Elvidge some- 
what disapprovingly remarks, "After fooling around all day, 
landed within about a mile from where it started." After dark 
an advance was made, the 150th occupying its usual position 
as skirmishers, and pushing through a wood filled with under- 
growth, with here and there a patch of swamp to add to the 
unpleasantness of the movement. Major Jones, with the rough 
experience of June 18 still fresh in his mind, speaks of it as the 
" ugliest duty performed for some time." In his front, disputing 
the way, was a rebel line, the flash of whose muskets could be 
seen at every discharge, and the sound of whose bullets, cutting 
through the magnolia bushes, was multiplied a hundredfold. 
At last his line rested at the point which had previously been 
agreed upon, — a certain clump of bushes, — where in a very short 
time rose the commanding earthwork named " Sedgwick," in 
honor of the fallen general, but which was speedily dubbed 
" Fort Hell" by the enemy, and has ever since retained that 
appellation. The night was spent in constructing a strong line 
parallel with the Petersburg and Jerusalem road. 

Nothing of any great importance occurred to the 150th, now, 
for two or three weeks. A few brief extracts from Elvidge's 
lively diary, however, may prove interesting. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 223 

"June 2j. — Craig, of Company B, has got back from wounded 
furlough. Our fellows and the rebs trading one minute and 
fighting the next. 

" Jtdie 26. — No firing along our front, as the pickets ha\-e 
made a bargain not to fire until one side or the other advances. 

"July J. — Trading going on briskly. Fifteen rebs came into 
our lines yesterday. 

"July /f.. — Lieutenant Kilgore returned to the regiment (he 
had been absent for many months on recruiting service). 

"July 6. — The Third Division, Sixth Corps, marched to City 
Point, on the way — it is supposed — to Maryland, to meet the 
Johnnies. 

"July 10. — It is reported that both Longstreet and Ewell, 
with Lee in command [an error, so far as Longstreet and Lee 
are concerned], are in Pennsylvania, and that Lew Wallace has 
met and repulsed them [also a mistake]. The raid is made for 
provision, and with a view to draw Grant from here. Rebs put 
a tax on all the towns passed through by them. Secretary 
Chase has resigned. Lincoln again put up for President. 

"July II. — The latest news informs us that Lew Wallace has 
been obliged to retreat towards Baltimore, with the rebs in full 
pursuit. General Tyler a prisoner. The raid seems to be of 
far greater importance than was at first attached to it. 

" Good news ! The rebel privateer ' Alabama' was sunk off 
the French coast by the * Kearsarge,' commanded by Captain 
Winslow." 

These extracts are useful as giving some account of a move- 
ment, under General Early, which created a violent commotion 
in the North and for a few days exposed the national capital to 
serious danger of capture. They also furnish an opportunity of 
recalling to mind the absent company of the 150th, — Company 
K, — which continued to serve as the President's body-guard, but 
which, on Early's approach, helped to man the outlying fortifica- 
tions of Washington, and had on that occasion its only genuine 



224 O^^ HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

whiff of burnt powder. This is stated with no intention of 
casting reproach upon Company K, which did only what a 
thousand other companies would have been glad to do, had 
the President's favor alighted in the same manner upon them. 

To resume the extracts : 

''July I/].. — Arrangements were made that two Florida 
brigades should come over and give themselves up. Every- 
thing being perfect on our side, the signals agreed upon were 
given ; but the plan was found out and frustrated by the rebel 
officers, and, after waiting several hours in vain, we gave the 
thing up as a bad job. 

'' Jjily 75. — Although the two brigades did not get in last 
night, about eight hundred from different regiments came in 
along the line of our brigade. Their army seems to be very 
much demoralized, the men making a break at every oppor- 
tunity." 

Elvidge's statement needs a little pruning. But one brigade 
from Florida was connected with the Army of Northern Vir- 
ginia, consisting of the 2d, 5th, 8th, Qth'," loth, and nth Regi- 
ments, commanded by Brigadier-General Joseph Finegan. 
The number of those who came in on the night of the 14th 
was doubtless considerably below eight hundred, though quite 
large enough to seriously reduce the strength of the brigade. 

Much of the missionary work expended upon Finegan's 
command was performed by a few men of the 150th, prominent 
among whom were Private Henry K. Lukens and Corporal 
Cornelius Slack, of Company E. Both of these were full of 
the spirit of adventure, and perhaps as innocent of fear as it is 
possible for men to be. In other respects they differed widely. 
Lukens was quiet and self-contained, with rigid ideas of duty, 
and penetrated by a profound patriotism which urged him to 
deeds beyond the ordinary requirements of the service. Com- 
bining good judgment with earnestness and sincerity of man- 
ner, he was well fitted to favorably impress those upon whom 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 22$ 

his influence was brought to bear. Slack, on the other hand, 
was of a rolHcking disposition, — one of the happy-go-lucky 
kind, who take nothing seriously, and view life as a sort of 
variety entertainment, where each performer propounds his 
conundrum and cracks his joke. As may be imagined, he 
was full of wit, and charged to the muzzle with amusing anec- 
dotes, which made him a welcome comer in any gathering of 
his fellows. Shrewdness he had also in an extraordinary de- 
gree, and this and his inexhaustible good-humor had helped 
him out of many a tight place. The two men were admirably 
qualified to supplement each other's efforts in the work of gain- 
ing converts from the enemy, which they now undertook. 

Finegan's Floridians manned the pits opposite the front of 
Tilden's (late Stone's) brigade, and — as stated by Elvidge — the 
pickets, by common consent, used no powder and ball, except 
when an advance was made by one side or the other. Under 
this favorable condition of affairs it was not long before trading 
became an absorbing passion along the line. The chief articles 
of barter on the Union side were coffee, sugar, and salt, for 
which the rebels eagerly exchanged their abundant supply of 
tobacco ; and newspapers also readily found their way from one 
line to the other. With the rebels the illustrated weeklies, such 
as Harper's and Frank Leslie's, were in great demand, and ruled 
high in the price-list. 

In the course of their mercantile transactions, Lukens, Slack, 
and others finally went into the enemy's pits, on the assurance 
that they would not be molested, and were soon on a most 
friendly footing v/ith their Southern neighbors. The venture 
was repeated many times without a single unpleasant incident, 
and they were not long in discovering that, if the Florida 
troops ever had any heart in the war, they were now beginning 
to be very sick of it. Many of them expressed themselves 
frankly to that effect. Here was an opportunity not to be lost. 
Lukens calmly suggested that they had better come over. 

15 



226 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

They replied that if they did so they feared they would be 
forced into the Union ranks, it being currently reported in 
Lee's army that such was the intention of the Federal govern- 
ment. 

Major Jones was promptly informed of these visits to the rebel 
pits, and of the state of feeling existing there. He at once re- 
ported the facts to the next higher authorities, and they were 
not. long in reaching the ears of General Warren, commanding 
the corps. The general sent for Lukens, and, after questioning 
him thoroughly, gave him a " roving commission," with full 
authority to pass through the lines when and where he pleased. 
He was also supplied with numerous copies of a proclamation 
issued by the President, granting amnesty to all persons in 
armed rebellion who should give themselves up. In subse- 
quent visits to the rebel line he distributed these freely, and 
they. speedily began to produce their effect. One evening he 
brought in five deserters with their arms, another evening four, 
and so on until there were between twenty and thirty to his 
credit. On his ninth and last expedition some of the rebels 
said to him, — 

" You won't go back to your lines." 

" Why not ?" he asked. 

" Because we're going to send you to Richmond." 

" To Richmond ? You wouldn't go back on a fellow like 
that?" 

" Yes, sir I You don't return to your lines ! " 

Just then a sergeant, with whom his negotiations had been 
chiefly carried on, stepped up, exclaiming, " What's that ?" 

" These men say they are going to send me to Richmond." 

"I. reckon not! This man has traded fair with us, and has 
done the square thing right through, and back to his own lines 
he goes, and no nonsense about it !" 

Detailing two men to accompany him, the sergeant sent him 
back without further ado. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 22/ 

Other missionaries had been at work on the same portion of 
the hne, and that night it was agreed that on the following even- 
ing, at a given signal, the whole brigade, or as much of it as 
could be won over, should make a " rush for freedom" in a body. 
The signal was to be two rockets from the fort next to the left 
of the position of the 150th, and instructions were passed along 
the Fifth Corps lines not to fire when the rush came. At the 
same time, for fear of possible treachery, the troops were to 
stand to arms, ready to repel any attack that might be under- 
taken under cover of this promised desertion. 

As mentioned by Elvidge, the plan was discovered in time 
to be frustrated, though an important fraction of the brigade 
succeeded in reaching the Union lines, singly and in squads. 
Lukens, who was subsequently promoted to be first sergeant of 
his company, and before final muster-out was commissioned 
captain, fully deserves the government medal of honor for his 
part in this dangerous work, as well as for other distinguished 
services. During his army career he captured, in various actions, 
no less than eighteen of the enemy, among them one or two 
commissioned officers. 

Fatigue duty on Fort Tilden and the sunken roads leading 
to it occupied the regiment during the latter half of July. The 
fort was practically completed on the 21st, and on the 23d the 
subway leading into it received the finishing touches. On the 
29th, in the early evening, six thirty-two-pounders, a four-gun 
battery of brass Napoleons, and a battery of rifled Parrotts 
were run into the fort, forming an armament of fourteen pieces. 

On the 30th of July the famous mine excavated by the 48th 
Pennsylvania, under the superintendence of Lieutenant-Colonel 
Pleasants, was sprung, and an effort made by Burnside's corps, 
assisted by other troops, to carry the rebel works and capture 
Petersburg. Great expectations had been based upon this un- 
dertaking, but, from causes which it would be useless to detail, 
none of them were realized. The movement, in which General 



228 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

Burnside was most prominent, proved an utter failure, and the 
loss of life was sickening. In this affair the 150th had no part, 
except as spectators of the furious cannonade which preceded 
the charge. 

On the loth of August an indiscretion on the part of a staff- 
officer of the brigade occasioned a sudden fire of rebel guns 
upon the works occupied by the regiment, by which Captain 
John H. Harter, of Company D, sustained painful injuries, and 
Piivates James Brown and Isaiah Dewees, of Company A, were 
also wounded, the former severely. The officer referred to, in 
showing some visiting friends the fort, was thoughtless enough 
to remove the " coffee bags" from the embrasures in the front, 
to enable them to see what a fine range the batteries had of the 
rebel works. Instantly the nearest rebel batteries, anticipating 
the supposed intentions of the " Yankees," let loose a storm of 
iron, with the unfortunate result mentioned. 

On the 15th the Second Division of the Ninth Corps replaced 
the troops of Griffin, and the latter marched back into the woods 
and encamped at division head-quarters, preparatory to the first 
movement against the Weldon Railroad. On the i8th the Fifth 
Corps was called up at two o'clock in the morning, and marched 
at four, the 1 50th being deployed as skirmishers as soon as the 
cavalry outposts were passed. The enemy's pickets were soon 
encountered and driven beyond the railroad, the regiment cap- 
turing a large number of the men at the reserve posts, when 
these were reached. 

Adjutant Wright, speaking of the occurrences of the day, 
says, " From the time the rebel picket reserve was routed until 
we had the Weldon road and telegraph line disabled, we had 
nothing but fun. After some delay at the railroad we advanced 
far enough beyond to give timely warning of the approach of a 
hostile body strong enough to retake the road. Several times 
the rebels tried it, but were driven back, even before our troops 
were up in force. . . , When we first took the Weldon Railroad 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 229 

there were no other troops with us. We tore up a few rails and 
had the telegraph wires bent as near the ground as the weight 
of a man could bring them, when a company of cavalry came 
along and cut the wires with their sabres." 

While the 150th and the rest of Tilden's brigade got along 
so satisfactorily, Ayres's and Crawford's divisions, operating 
about a mile farther up the railroad, were attacked by two 
brigades of Heth's division, which, penetrating the thick un- 
derbrush, struck Dushane's Maryland brigade unexpectedly 
and utterly routed it. Ayres quickly drew back his line to 
avoid being doubled up by the flank, and then, pressing for- 
ward rapidly, beat back the attacking force in confusion. 

On the morning of the 19th, General Mahone, advancing 
through the thick woods, with whose topography he was en- 
tirely familiar, easily broke through Bragg's (Iron Brigade) 
skirmish line, and, swinging to the right, swept down Craw- 
ford's line, gathering in most of his skirmishers and a great 
part of two or three of his regiments. The rest of his division, 
and also a portion of Ayres's command, were compelled to fall 
back some distance, when they were re-formed by General , 
Warren and, after checking the enemy's victorious movement, 
pushed to the front again, retaking the ground which had been 
lost. While things were at sixes and sevens in consequence of 
Mahone's skilful manoeuvre, Tilden's brigade of Pennsylvanians 
was withdrawn from the advanced position which it had held 
during the night, and hurried to the right to assist in turning 
defeat into victory. Adjutant Wright says of the operations 
of the 150th, " Our right flank was beaten, and the regiment 
was taken from the left front to resist the advance of the so far 
victorious enemy on the right. Major Jones cannot forget 
General Griffin's repeated appeals to us to stand, recounting 
how 'a line of Pennsylvanians was just so placed at Malvern 
Hill, without a spadeful of earth in front of them, and did their 
work splendidly,'— ;/>/j.Y as zve did zuhcii the rebels came. Their 



230 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

victorious charge of but a short time previous captured the two 
regiments of the re-enlisted Pennsylvania Reserve almost to a 
man, — Wolf, Hartshorn, Weidler, etc. After the repulse the 
belated divisions of the Ninth Corps got there, and we were 
relieved. The next day we had the satisfaction of having the 
enemy undertake the recapture of the Weldon Railroad, when, 
for the first time in my experience, we had the protection of 
good breastworks. It is needless to say they were disastrously 
defeated." 

This last repulse of the enemy, to which the adjutant refers, 
occurred on the 2 1st, not on the 20th, Wilcox's and White's 
divisions of the Ninth Corps, although tardy in appearing on 
the 19th, came into play after the enemy's successful progress 
had been stayed, and, attacking with spirit, drove Mahone's 
exulting troops back to their intrenchments in great disorder. 

On the 20th, General Warren selected and fortified a line a 
mile or more in rear of the previous day's battle-ground, in a 
more open country, and here he was assaulted on the morning 
of the 2 1 St by a formidable force under command of General 
,A. P. Hill. The latter's corps was assisted by Mahone's and 
Hoke's divisions, and many batteries participated in the attack, 
but every attempt to take or turn the works proved ineffectual. 
The 150th, with the other regiments of the brigade, occupied 
an advantageous position on the extreme left, and somewhat to 
the rear of the main line, screened by trees from the observa- 
tion of the enemy. Mahone's troops, in their advance, think- 
ing they were turning the Union left, unexpectedly stumbled 
upon the defences manned by Tilden's brigade, and received a 
rude awakening. A galling fire from the 150th and the other 
Pennsylvania regiments arrested their progress and seemed to 
paralyze them, while a flank fire from the works on the right 
and farther to the front completed their demoralization. It 
was here that some hundreds of Hagood's rebel command were 
taken prisoners and several battle-flags captured. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 23 1 

After nightfall Tilden's brigade moved farther to the left and 
built breastworks. 

In order to complete the destruction of the Weldon Railroad, 
and increase Lee's difficulties in obtaining supplies for his army 
by that route, Hancock's corps and Gregg's cavalry were sent 
farther south on the 22d, and tore up the track for a distance of 
three miles beyond Ream's Station. On the 25th these troops 
were attacked by Hill's corps, assisted by Anderson's brigade, 
of Longstreet's command, and Hampton's cavalry, and a severe 
battle ensued, in which the enemy had decidedly the advantage, 
taking nearly two thousand prisoners, together with nine guns 
and several stands of colors. Hancock's forces were withdrawn 
at dark, as the further destruction of the road at that time was 
out of the question ; but Warren kept his hold at the Globe 
Tavern, intrenched thoroughly, and the enemy never regained 
control of the road. 

On the 6th of August the mean strength of the regiment, as 
reported by Hospital Steward Kieffer, was one hundred and 
sixty-four. On the 27th of the same month it had fallen to one 
hundred and twenty-eight. In the affair at the Weldon Rail- 
road the regiment lost but one killed, — Corporal Cornelius 
Slack, of Company E, whose part in the effort to win over the 
Florida brigade has been set forth in this chapter. 

Among the wounded were Lieutenant Kilgore, of Company 
A, and Sergeant Hopkins, of F. A complete list of the 
wounded is not obtainable. 



232 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

FORT DUSHANE — FIRST MOVEMENT ON HATCHEr's RUN. 

The new line of breastworks, begun on the evening of August 
21, extended across the railroad and formed the extreme Union 
left. On the 22d ground was broken on the " Old Stage Road" 
for a large defensive work, called " Fort Dushane," in honor of 
Colonel Dushane, commander of the Maryland brigade, who 
was killed on the 2 ist. Here the regiment remained for several 
weeks, working upon the fort until it was completed, performing 
the usual picket duty, and getting under arms now and then to 
resist some apprehended attack. On the afternoon of Septem- 
ber I a reconnoitring party of rebels drove in the pickets in front 
of the brigade, and an attempt at flanking was suspected ; but a 
rattling fire of musketry soon compelled them to show a clean 
pair of heels. Prior to this, Colonel Tilden, who as commander 
of the brigade was not persona grata, had been replaced by 
Lieutenant-Colonel Allen, of a Massachusetts regiment, whose 
conduct on this occasion reconciled the men to the appointment 
of a stranger to handle them temporarily. 

Water was a scarce article at this time, and much of that 
which was used for cooking purposes having to be brought 
quite a distance, the men of the 150th dug a well near the fort 
on the 3d of September, obtaining a plentiful supply. 

About the 12th a plan for the consolidation of the troops of 
the old First Corps was carried into effect, and all were put into 
the Third Division, Fifth Corps, under the command of General 
S. Wylie Crawford. The 150th became a part of the First 
Brigade (General Bragg's), which then consisted of nine regi- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 233 

ments, — viz., 121st, I42d, 143d, 149th, and 150th Pennsylvania, 
2d, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin, and 24th Michigan. The 121st and 
I42d Pennsylvania were a few days later withdrawn and added 
to General Hoffman's command. 

On the evening of the 12th, after a hard day's work pre- 
paring and placing abatis in front of Fort Dushane, the brigade 
was ordered out of the fort and marched to the rear of corps 
head-quarters, where it bivouacked for the night. On the 
following morning the entire division paraded to witness the 
bestowal of medals of honor, by General Meade, upon several 
enlisted men of the Fourth Division who had distinguished them- 
selves by gallant conduct in the action of August 21. It was an 
imposing scene, the interest in which was heightened by appro- 
priate addresses by Generals Meade and Warren. After the 
ceremony was over the 1 50th moved back into the woods to 
the right and rear of Yellow House, General Warren's head- 
quarters, where it established camp, and with Cooper's old 
battery constituted a sort of special reserve. 

Being " on the reserve" was by no means the " soft snap" 
which many might figure it, and if the men could have had 
their choice, no doubt all of them would have preferred to re- 
main at the front in the works. As it was, they knew no rest, 
but were called into line times without number, in response to 
alarms which frequently proved groundless. Elvidge records in 
his diary, contemptuously, " For the least bit of a row we have 
to be in readiness," In some cases, however, the call was gen- 
uine, and the regiment was hurried away to the relief of expe- 
ditions in distress. " Once," says Adjutant Wright, "we were 
sent to ^et Baxter in from a difficulty, when we were under a 
sharp skirmish fire for some time ; and on another occasion, at 
a time when Potter's division of the Ninth Corps was being 
worsted, we were despatched quite a distance beyond the rail- 
road, together with the 2ist Pennsylvania Cavalry, dismounted, 
when we took a small earthwork, and came very near being 



234 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

captured on our return by Bragg's not getting on the right road 
to bring us in." 

On the 2 2d, Crawford's division was reviewed by General 
Warren, and Bragg's brigade was selected to drill in front of the 
division, in the presence of the corps commander, who highly 
complimented General Bragg on the appearance and efficiency 
of the 150th. On this occasion the regiment aired its white 
gloves, which probably had something to do with the flattering 
comments passed upon it. 

From the 28th of September to the ist of October new dis- 
positions were made of the Army of the Potomac, to mask or 
assist a movement of the Eighteenth and Tenth Corps against 
the rebel works on the north side of the James River. The 
Fifth and Ninth Corps were moved farther to the left, leaving a 
comparatively small force to hold the line of fortifications, and 
everything was done to convey the impression that a serious 
effort would be made to gain possession of the South Side 
Railroad. This, indeed, was to be attempted, if the conditions 
proved favorable. On the 30th, Griffin's and Ayres's divisions 
carried the intrenchments and redoubt on the Peebles farm, 
capturing several guns and some prisoners. The 150th, while 
sharing in the movement to the left, had no part in this particu- 
lar action. On the ist of October it was deployed as skirmish- 
ers, and, advancing about half a mile, came within range of the 
enemy's fire and established a picket line. -The result of the 
several days' operations was that the Union lines were extended 
considerably westward and brought closer to the objective 
point, — the South Side Railroad,-r-besides greatly reducing 
the area controlled by the forces defending Petersburg! 

On the 3d and 4th, Bragg's brigade was busily engaged in 
throwing up an earthwork to hold thirteen guns, the name of 
which — if it was ever christened — is forgotten. On the 6th the 
150th received a new stand of colors, the old flag having been 
too much exhausted by storm and battle to hold together 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 235 

longer. Its retirement was the subject of much regret in the 
regiment. 

The picket h'ne of the brigade was advanced over a mile on 
the 8th, occasioning some severe skirmishing, in which a line 
of rebel pits was taken. 

The Pennsylvania State election took place on the nth of 
October, and on the same day the polls were opened in the 
various regiments from that State. In the 150th the vote stood 
ninety-three Republican to twenty Democratic, including com- 
missioned officers and detached men. The mean strength of 
the regiment on the ist of October was one hundred and thirty- 
three. * No statements for the 8th and 15th are at hand, but on 
the 22d the number had increased to two hundred and twenty- 
seven, owing to the return of convalescents and absentees on 
furlough. 

On the i8th, Elvidge entered in his diary, "Detailed for 
picket. After dark we got to ' hollering' between the lines, the 
Johnnies hurrahing for McClellan, Bob Lee, and Beauregard, 
and we for Lincoln, Butler, etc. One Johnny hurrahed for 
h — 1. It was kept up backward and forw^ard for about two 
hours." 

On the 26th came marching orders, with instructions to 
carry four days' rations, which was quickly interpreted to mean 
a determined effort to reach and hold, or destroy, the South 
Side Railroad. The Second, Fifth, and Ninth Corps were to 
act in concert in the movement, leaving in the works only a 
sufficient force to defend them. At dawn of the 27th, Craw- 
ford's division began its march, leaving Baxter's brigade to 
occupy the defences. The morning was dark and rainy, and 
the progress of the troops through the woods, which covered a 
large portion of the country, was necessarily slow. The Ninth 
Corps was to carry some intrenchments near Hatcher's Run, 
or occupy the force defending them, while Warren's (Fifth) 
corps, advancing to Armstrong's Mill, was to support the Ninth 



236 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

in the event of its success, pushing forward on its left ; or, if 
Parke's attack failed, General Warren was to cross Hatcher's 
Run, and, 'in conjunction with Hancock, endeavor to turn the 
enemy's right. It is unnecessary to rehearse all the details of 
the two days' operations, which were without important results, 
owing partly to the unfavorable weather, but chiefly to an in- 
sufficient knowledge of the topography of the country and a 
miscalculation of the obstacles to be surmounted and the dis- 
tances to be traversed, Hancock's corps had some very severe 
fighting, with varying success, and Gregg's cavalry was closely 
engaged with Hampton's command, holding its own tenaciously 
and beating back every attack. Crawford's division, which was 
sent across Hatcher's Run, with instructions to deploy and 
sweep up the stream, with its right touching the run, until it 
should connect with Hancock, encountered unexpected difficul- 
ties, and, owing to the dense woods and the too great distance 
of Hancock's position to the left, the junction was not effected. 
Adjutant Wright says of the part taken by the 150th in this 
movement, " We started on the Hatcher's Run affair at four 
o'clock on the morning of October 27, and deploying at ten 
o'clock, advanced with instructions to go to Hatcher's Run, but 
not to cross it. We soon found the rebels, but not enough to 
stop our progress, and had advanced about two miles when Lieu- 
tenant Mead, of the division staff, halted us and drew the right 
of our line back to bring it on the north side of a small stream 
which we had crossed with that part of the line, saying it was 
Hatcher's Run. Shortly afterwards Lieutenant Herr, also of 
division staff, arrived and seemed surprised that we had halted, 
and, when informed that it was Mead's order, seemed amazed 
that he should have ' taken a little spring ditch for Hatcher's 
Run.' Soon after starting again we encountered the first real 
hard opposition we had, and for some time were under quite a 
heavy fire, the rebels being, as usual, in a dense thicket. We 
finally got them on the go, and had no more trouble — except 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 237 

at one or two points of the line — in reaching Hatcher's Run, 
where we remained quite a long time, — I should think fully 
an hour, — waiting for the troops to come up. Artillery was 
parked in plain view of us on the other side, with horses pick- 
eted. The tobacco wagons were issuing tobacco to the ' rebs,' 
and they seemed to have no knowledge of our being so close. 
The pickets that w,e drove off must have returned to their line 
very much to our right. It was then that Major Jones sent me 
to the rear to inform our brigade where we were, and to bring 
up the troops. Sergeant-Major Topping was captured before 
this, along with Corporal E. L. Dickinson, of Company B, off 
to our left. As I was taken in the attempt to get to our troops, 
it ended my knowledge of what occurred afterwards." 

Some time before reaching the stream, and while the rebel 
pickets were still making a show of resistance, Major Jones in- 
structed Sergeant-Major Topping to go to the extreme left of 
the line to see how it was getting on. He hurried away on his 
mission, and just as he reached the outside flankers, consisting 
of Corporal Dickinson and two others, the main skirmish line 
swung around rapidly to the right, — an evolution in which the 
flankers were unable to join promptly on account of an ugly 
morass in their front. Almost before he had time to take in the 
situation the sergeant-major was approached by a man of im- 
posing size, wearing a regulation blue overcoat, and looking 
exactly like a Union cavalryman, who asked him a question or 
two in regard to the line as he moved forward, and then, sud- 
denly whipping out a revolver from beneath his overcoat, thrust 
it in his face and with an oath demanded his surrender. At the 
same moment he became aware of the presence of half a dozen 
rebels, a little to the left and rear, all covering him with their 
guns, making any idea of resistance hopeless. One of the flank- 
ers, who subsequently escaped around the swampy thicket, 
fired at the man with the pistol, but failed to hit him. The 
sergeant-major and Corporal Dickinson had nothing to do but 



238 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

surrender, and were soon on their way to test prison life at 
Richmond and Danville. 

Major Jones, with his skirmishers, having outstripped the line 
of battle, when (in Wright's homely phrase) he had got the 
rebels " on the go," and finding himself still unsupported after he 
had waited more than an hour at the run, began to surmise that 
something had gone amiss, and deemed it advisable to commu- 
nicate with the brigade commander. He accordingly sent Adju- 
tant Wright back on this errand, with the result already stated. 
Owing to the wide gap on Hancock's right, the enemy had occu- 
pied the woods some distance in Jones's rear, placing the little 
regiment in a most unenviable situation, although it was oblivi- 
ous of the new danger. As he had no order to withdraw, and 
night was falling, the major concluded to make the best of it 
and remain where he was. The men were cautioned to main- 
tain their line, exercise increased vigilance, and abstain from 
firing unless attacked. 

Meanwhile, Crawford's command, finding itself confronted 
by large bodies of rebels who had broken through Hancock's 
lines or skirted his right flank, and in danger of being sur- 
rounded, had withdrawn across the run and taken up a new 
position. Either from ignorance of Major Jones's location or 
because in the excitement of the moment the matter was over- 
looked, no instructions whatever were sent to that officer. In- 
deed, it was not known either at brigade or division head-quar- 
ters whether the major and his Bucktails — when their absence 
was finally remarked — had not been " gobbled up" bodily by 
the enemy, and much anxiety was felt for their safety. 

The night, like the day, was wet and gloomy, and the regi- 
ment rarely passed more uncomfortable hours. At dawn 
Sergeant Jonathan Hall, of Company B, returned to the line, 
having safely made his way to brigade head-quarters and back. 
He was soon followed by Captain Davis, of the brigade staff, 
and some 150th men who had been on detached duty the pre- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. . 239 

vious day, or from one cause or another had dropped back from 
the front to the h'ne of battle, and under their instructions Major 
Jones began the perilous work of withdrawing. It was no easy 
matter to retire in the presence of a watchful enemy, and the 
movement had hardly been undertaken before it was discovered 
and bullets began to fly. Breaking some distance to the rear, 
and filing to the right, the command crossed the run on a fallen 
log, not without the disabling of several men. One poor fellow 
lost his footing on the log and was thoroughly soused in the 
cold stream, but escaped without further injury. Piloted by 
the searching party, the little regiment was not long in rejoin- 
ing the brigade, where it was welcomed with cheer upon cheer, 
having been given up as captured. 

Elvidge's record of the Hatcher's Run movement reads, — 
" October 27. — Marched at daylight. One brigade of each 
division left behind. Moved out towards the South Side Rail- 
road about ten miles. Here we came up with the Second and 
Ninth Corps. Our regiment, as usual, deployed as skirmishers 
and moved forward about half a mile, then wheeled to the left 
and on again for about a mile and a half A division staff-officer 
took Captain Sigler, myself, and Bill Williams out to hunt the 
lines. Found nothing but Johnnies in front, and, returning, he 
(the staff-officer) lost us all in the woods. After hunting around 
a couple of hours, found the brigade about dark. The Johnnies 
broke through the Second Corps and got in our rear. They 
brought all their prisoners and wounded into our lines by mis- 
take. One party took two division orderlies and a staff-officer 
within about twenty yards of our line of battle. About half- 
past one o'clock General Crawford undertook to take our bri- 
gade out, as we were almost surrounded. Lost the wa)' and 
ran into A. P. Hill's line of battle, but finally came out all 
right. The regiment lay on the line all night, with the John- 
nies fighting them on one side and the 155th and 91st Pennsyl- 
vania on the other [?]. 



240 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

" October 28. — This morning advanced the eighteen [150th 
men] left here, and found out where the regiment was, and 
succeeded in getting it in. Adjutant [Wright], sergeant-major 
[Topping], and ' Dixey' captured; other losses unknown. Com- 
menced moving back about nine o'clock, and were all back 
inside of our works by four in the afternoon. What the move 
was intended for is more than I can say." 

In a letter to his mother, dated October 29, 1864, Lieutenant 
Harvey Fisher, of Company A, says, " We started from here on 
the morning of the 27th, at four o'clock, and reached our old 
camp again last evening about six o'clock. . . . We did not fight 
in line of battle, but had a very hot skirmish for about twenty- 
four hours, during which we lost in the regiment fourteen men 
wounded and two prisoners; also one officer, our adjutant, was 
taken prisoner. I am now acting in his place." 

Of the wounded at Hatcher's Run, Private Patrick Gibbons, 
of Company E, died of his injuries on the 5th of January fol- 
lowing, and Private Simon Erdley, of Company D, lost his 
right arm. Sergeant Edward B. Fowler, of F, who was slightly 
wounded on the 27th, was appointed acting sergeant-major vice 
Topping, captured. 

Adjutant Wright tells the story of his own capture as fol- 
lows : " On our way up we passed over a large swamp full of 
tussocks, and between these, in places, deep water. In return- 
ing (to look for the brigade) I crossed the same swamp, and was 
very careful not to make a misstep. Going on in this way, with 
my eyes directed to the ground, and having to jump from one 
grassy tuft to another, my progress became quite rapid. On 
reaching the end of the swamp I was on a pretty good run and 
well-nigh out of breath. The first thing I saw, on looking up, 
was two rebel soldiers looking away from me, and the next a 
large pine-tree, three or four feet across, just to my right. It 
took only an instant to jump behind the tree, where I caught 
my breath and considered what I should do. I had no revolver, 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLLNTEERS. 24 1 

and could not draw my sword, thanks to Lieutenant Funk, who, 
in riding over us one night at Laurel Hill, set his horse's feet 
on it and mashed the scabbard so tight to the blade that it re- 
quired assistance to get the latter out. To run back over the 
swamp, which was at least four hundred yards wide, was too 
risky, and I did not know what to do ; but finally thought I 
had better try to see if the rebels were still lookine for o-oincr) 
the other zvay. Peeping out from behind the tree, I was surprised 
to find them both expecting me, with muskets to the shoulder, 
cocked, and demanding, 'Surrender, sir!' This I had to do, 
except to deliver my sword, which they did not ask me for. I 
used considerable argument to induce them to put down their 
guns, but only succeeded in getting one of them to do so. I 
was sure they would take me right into our regiment, as on ask- 
ing them where their lines were they pointed in the exact direc- 
tion from which I had come. They had been on picket duty 
there, or near there, and knew a path around the. swamp. They 
marched me off, one in front of me with his gun at a trail, but 
the other kept his gun cocked and at a ready. We soon struck 
a road leading to Hatcher's Run, and which crossed it but a 
short distance to the left of our regiment. On this road we 
met Colonel Peyton, of General Lee's staff, to whom both of 
my captors appealed to be allowed to take me to the rear, telling 
him how many prisoners they had already taken that day, while, 
in fact, they were stragglers from a North Carolina regiment 
which had gone to the left, where Hancock was having a hard 
fight. Colonel Peyton at once asked for my sword, and ques- 
tioned me, trying to make me out a spy. He could not under- 
stand how I could be there and belong to the Fifth Corps. 
He left me in charge of the two ' rebs' who caught me, and rode 
off to see if he could find anything of our regiment. He went 
directly to its rear, not very far from the hne, and rode the full 
length of it. He was mounted on as pretty a bay horse as I 
ever saw, and was handsomely uniformed in gray, buttoned up 

16 



242 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

to the neck, the buttons nearly as large as blacking-boxes. I 
expected him to be shot, every instant ; but no doubt our men 
were so intently viewing the park of artillery, the tobacco train 
(it was 'Tobacco Day' with the 'rebs'), and the troops marching 
to the left on the other side of the run, that they did not look 
to the rear at all. On his return. Colonel Peyton turned me 
over to Sergeant Pollard, of Lee's head-quarters guard, who was 
coming in from Hancock's fight with a squad of prisoners, and 
* fired' the poor devils who had taken me out to the front." 

The adjutant gives many interesting details of the niarch to 
Petersburg, where he met Corporal Dickinson, and of the jour- 
ney to Richmond, where he was safely housed in " Libby, the 
palace of all rebel prisons." Thence, after a week's sojourn, he 
was taken to Danville, Virginia, at which point he rested until 
the middle of February, 1865. He was then fortunate enough 
to be returned to Libby, paroled, and sent North, arriving at 
Annapolis about the 22d of the same month. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 243 



CHAPTER XXV. 

IN WINTER -QUARTERS iSXCHANGE OF ARMS PRESIDENTIAL 

ELECTION SECOND WELDON RAILROAD EXPEDITION SECOND 

hatcher's RUN (or dabney's mill). 

Two days after the return from Hatcher's Run a new camp 
was outlined for the entire division, and the work of putting up 
winter-quarters began. The same night (October 30) a body 
of the enemy executed a skilful raid on the front of the Second 
Corps, capturing most of its pickets and causing quite a com- 
motion along the Union lines. All the troops sprang to arms, 
but the raiders retired as quickly as they came, and quiet soon 
reigned again. 

On the 4th of November the regiment enjoyed a most grati- 
fying surprise. Ever since the army started on the Wilderness 
campaign the 150th had been pushed to the front as skirmishers 
on all occasions, and a thousand times had sighed for breech- 
loading rifles to replace the inconvenient " Enfields" brought 
from Harrisburg in 1862. At last its wish was gratified. The 
old weapons were turned in on the day named, and the men 
were made proud and happy by the receipt of new breech- 
loading " Sharps," with whose mechanism they were soon 
familiar. 

The Presidential election was held on Tuesday, November 8. 
The story of how the soldiers voted is best told in a letter 
written on the following day by Lieutenant Fisher, and ad- 
dressed to his mother : 

" We had an exciting time over the election yesterday. I 
will give you the result in our brigade: 



244 



ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



149th Pennsylvania Volunteers 
143d Pennsylvania Volunteers 
150th Pennsylvania Volunteers 

2d Wisconsin . 

6th Wisconsin . 

7th Wisconsin . 
24th Michigan . 

Total 



Democratic. 


Republican 


. 102 


188 


100 


186 


. 27 


III 


I 


70 


21 


123 


• 30 


137 


• 50 


176 



331 



991 



" Almost all of the new regiments are giving a large majority 
for McClellan ; but you will find that most of the men (I will 
not say all) who are voting the Democratic ticket have either 
lately come out for the large bounties, and not for the sake of 
the country, or have forever ' bummed' in the hospital and 
never fired a gun. You will find no soldier who is fighting 
simply for the good of the country that will cast a vote for 
McClellan and Pendleton." 

A review of General Bragg's brigade by General Crawford, 
on the 1 2th of November, was followed on the 14th by a re- 
view of the same brigade by its own commander. On this 
latter occasion the several regiments had added an extra polish 
to their entire outfit, and their appearance and movements were 
exceptionally brilliant. After the affair was over, General Craw- 
ford, who had witnessed it, said to Bragg, ' Your men didn't get 
themselves up like that for me." " No," replied Bragg; "they 
don't think as much of you as they do of me !" 

Elvidge mentions the occurrence in this wise : " Old Bragg 
had another review this afternoon. The affair of Saturday did' 
not appear to satisfy him. I guess he had had a little too 
much, or wanted to show us the new coat which he had on." 

For several weeks quiet prevailed, and, beyond the receipt of 
dress-coats and regulation hats, and daily practise with the new 
rifles, there is nothing of interest to chronicle. On the evening 
of November 26 commissions arrived for Edward B. Fowler, of 
Company F, and Gilbert Gordon, of Company I, as first lieu- 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 245 

tenants in their respective companies, and on the following day 
they assumed the duties of their rank. 

General Warren's (Fifth) corps, strengthened by Mott's divi- 
sion of the Second, and Gregg's cavalry, started on the 6th of 
December to complete the destruction of the Weldon Railroad. 
Halt was made for the night near the Jerusalem plank road. 
On the following day Bragg's brigade led, marching down the 
plank road about fifteen miles, then turning to the right and 
crossing the Nottoway River on pontoons at dark, and reach- 
ing Sussex Court-House before bivouacking. The column 
passed through Coman's Well on the morning of the 8th, struck 
the railroad, and immediately began the work of destruction. 
The several divisions, in line of battle, with pickets advan- 
tageously posted, tore up the track in their front, burning the 
ties and twisting the rails, and then marching to the left, re- 
peated the operation until the road was dismantled to a point 
forty miles from Petersburg. The work occupied two days, 
and, as the weather was cold and wet and rations were not over- 
abundant, much suffering was entailed on the troops. The re- 
turn march was begun on the lOth, the 150th moving as skir- 
mishers on the flank. The strain on their physical resources 
that day was very great, as the distance made was sixteen 
miles, over fields sodden by the continuous rain and through 
woods filled with a tangle of undergrowth, to say nothing of 
swampy places, which were all too frequent. On the nth the 
regiment was selected to cover the rear, and had a scarcely less 
uncomfortable experience than on the preceding day, having to 
hurry " forward into line" at brief intervals, in anticipation of an 
attack. When on the following morning the seven days' excur- 
sion ended on the spot where the brigade rested the first night 
of the outward march, the men were more thoroughly exhausted 
than they had been at any time since the trying days of Spott- 
sylvania and the North Anna. 

A change of position was made on the morning of the i6th, 



246 OXE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

the brigade moving into the woods a mile or more to the west 
of the Jerusalem plank road, where work was immediately- 
begun on new winter-quarters. The weather was growing 
cold, and, with an insufficient food supply, — the reasons for 
which were not apparent, — there was urgent need of comfort- 
able shelter. Christmas came and went with nothing to dis- 
tinguish it from other days, except the memories which it 
brought of merry Christmases spent at home in the " piping 
times of peace." The soldier's kettle (in most cases nothing 
better than an empty tomato can) gave forth no more savory 
odor than that of boiled pork, while " hard-tack" and coffee 
furnished the rest of the feast. All the same there were happy 
hearts and shouts of joy on the morning of the 26th, when 
a despatch was read before each regiment announcing the 
capture of Savannah by General Sherman, with thousands of 
prisoners, scores of guns, and endless quantities of stores. 

On the last day of December the first snow-storm of the 
season set in. As the inclement weather and muddy condi- 
tion of the roads made active field operations impossible, leaves 
of absence and furloughs were now granted quite freely, and a 
number of officers and men of the 150th were permitted to visit 
their homes, fifteen days being the longest absence approved. 
Among those favored may be mentioned Major Jones, Lieu- 
tenants Fisher, Rorer, Gordon, and Fowler, Sergeant-Major 
Hall, Sergeant Fink, of Company I, and Corporal Lister, of 
Company B. Of course all were not away at the same time. 
In the absence of the sergeant-major, the adjutant's clerk, 
Frank H. Elvidge, performed the duties of that position. 

Captain Beckwith, who had already seen three years and a 
half of active service, and whose infirm mother was anxious for 
his return home, made application on the 22d of January to be 
mustered out, but his petition was returned on the 23d, disap- 
proved. On the latter date Private Paul Hoffinan returned to 
Company A for duty, having been absent ever since the battle 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 247 

of Gettysburg, in which a dangerous wound in the breast came 
near ending his hfe. 

On February 4 orders were received to be ready to move, with 
Hght-marching outfit, at half-past six on the morning of the 5th. 
Again there was to be wrestling for the South Side Railroad, 
and the regiment was to renew its acquaintance with Hatcher's 
Run and have " Dabney's Mill" impressed upon its memory 
and stamped upon its banners. Elvidge chronicles the move- 
ment briefly in his diary : 

" Fcbntary 5. — Moved just after daybreak. Took the Halifax 
road, crossed Hatcher's Run, and marched within about three 
miles of Dinwiddle Court-House. Halted for about an hour, 
made fires, and then marched back again to the junction of the 
Vaughan road. Deployed in line of battle and halted for the 
night. Had a row with the 6th Wisconsin about rails. Weather 
very cold and we had no blankets. 

" February 6. — Hauled out about three o'clock, took the 
Vaughan road, crossed Hatcher's Run just at daybreak, and 
moved perhaps a mile, when we about-faced and went back to 
the creek again. Lay there until near three o'clock, when we 
crossed the stream once more, moved to the right of the First 
Division, and deployed, the line of battle following us up. 
Opened the ball, charged the rebels in their works, and every- 
thing was going serenely when I was struck in the left leg by a 
* Minie,' which shattered the bone somewhat, but not enough 
to necessitate the loss of the limb." 

(Elvidge was taken to the division hospital, and subsequently 
to City Point and other hospitals. From this time his diary 
ceases to be of interest from a strictly military stand-point.) 

The movement which Elvidge describes as having occurred 
about three o'clock p.m. is stated by General Humphreys to 
have taken place at one o'clock, and to have been a reconnois- 
sance by General Crawford's division along the Vaughan and * 
Dabney's Mill roads, with Ayres's division in support to the left 



248 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

and rear. The 150th, as skirmishers, led Bragg's brigade, and 
soon encountered the skirmishers of a portion of Pegram's 
command, who were driven back on their main Hne, and the 
latter dislodged and pushed as far as Dabney's Mill. A fresh 
division of the enemy coming to Pegram's support, the tables 
were turned and Crawford's left was forced back. Three bri- 
gades were hurried to Crawford's assistance, but Mahone's 
division arriving, so strengthened the rebel line that it advanced 
with confidence to the attack, and in spite of Warren's utmost 
endeavors his troops were compelled to yield ground at every 
point. But for the timely arrival of a portion of General 
Wheaton's division, of the Sixth Corps, the enemy's success 
might have been more serious, involving the capture of numer- 
ous prisoners and guns. The broken line of the Fifth Corps 
was quickly re-formed on Wheaton's deploying column, and the 
rebel progress checked. 

On the 7th the troops again advanced at an early hour, and, 
driving the enemy, began to fortify a new line. The next two 
or three days were spent in work on these new defences. 

Second Hatcher's Run, or Dabney's Mill, was the last battle 
in which the 150th participated, and the record of its losses 
proves conclusively that it was " at the front" and had its full 
share of the fighting. A copy of the morning report of January 
22, 1865, shows the number of officers present for duty on that 
day to have been eight, and the number of enlisted men one 
hundred and fifty-five, exclusive of fifty-eight men on detached 
service. The strength of the command was doubtless about 
the same when the Dabney's Mill affair occurred. Out of 
this small number five men were killed or mortally wounded, 
and perhaps twenty or more wounded, although the exact 
number of the latter cannot now be learned. The only one 
whose name has been ascertained is Private John B. Litch, of 
Company G. 

Those who were killed, or died of their injuries, were, — 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 249 

Coinpa7iy D. 
Private John Deal, mortally wounded February 5. 

Cotnpatiy G. 
Sergeant S. De Loss Taggart, mortally wounded February 6. 
Corporal Theodore Yardley, killed February 6. 

Company H. 
Private Jonathan Deross, killed February 6. 
Private John A. Robb, killed February 6. 



250 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

TO ELMIRA, NEW YORK GUARDING CONSCRIPTS EXPEDITION TO 

FALL BROOK, PENNSYLVANIA, AND A BLOODLESS VICTORY 

MUSTER-OUT AND FINAL PAY HOME AGAIN. 

The history of the regiment draws rapidly to a close. It was 
not the good fortune of the 150th to share in the exciting 
" round-up" which followed the evacuation of Richmond and 
Petersburg, or witness the impressive scenes which marked the 
surrender of Lee's army at Appomattox. It heard with un- 
bounded joy of the final success of the Army of the Potomac 
under its great leader, Grant, and his able but modest lieuten- 
ant, Meade, after years of patient campaigning, in which, more 
from want of capable management than from lack of discipline, 
zeal, or courage, no glorious victory had been inscribed upon 
its banners, except Gettysburg. It was filled with a mighty 
sorrow by the news of the assassination of President Lincoln, 
who was regarded with a more than filial affection by all who 
wore the nation's blue, and whose many-sided greatness, shining 
through his unstudied simplicity, made him the ideal of their 
hearts,— the equal of the immortal Washington. 

On the loth of February an order was received detaching 
the brigade from the Army of the Potomac, to proceed North 
on special service. On the following day the 143d, 149th, and 
150th Regiments, worn and wasted by constant duty and almost 
incessant fighting, took boat at City Point for Baltimore. The 
Wisconsin regiments, which had accompanied them to the point 
of embarkation were, for some reason, sent back to the lines at 
Petersburg. 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 25 I 

As the weather was threatening, the steamer lay at anchor 
all night near Fortress Monroe, and did not reach its des- 
tination until the evening of the I2th. Here, after a delay of a 
day or two, orders came to the 149th and 150th to proceed by 
rail to Elmira, New York, to take charge of the rendezvous for 
conscripts at that place ; and the 143d was at the same time in- 
structed to go by water to Hart's Island, in New York harbor, 
for similar duty at that point. After nearly two years and a 
half of intimate association, chiefly in the field, these well-tried 
regiments separated with extreme regret. 

The railroad journey from Baltimore to Elmira was without 
important incident, and the 149th and 150th were soon com- 
fortably quartered in wooden barracks on the confines of the 
latter city, where their duty was to guard a considerable assem- 
blage of conscripts, and furnish details from time to time to 
escort detachments of these not over-patriotic levies to the 
front. Much looseness of method had hitherto prevailed in 
the management of the camp, and complaints were numerous 
that, by the use of money or other bribes, many of those who 
had drawn prizes by the " turn of the wheel" had escaped the 
service for which they were intended. All this was now 
changed. It was apparent from the start that the " Bucktails" 
had brought their habits of vigilance and discipline from the 
enemy's country, and were never more intent upon "business" 
than in their new position. They were not without annoyance, 
however, from unruly members of this fortuitous aggregation, 
who conspired at times to break away from their confinement 
by drawing the attention of the sentinels to one portion of the 
stockade — always at night — while they endeavored by a wild 
rush to effect a breach at another. On one occasion a passage 
was dug under the high enclosing fence, in the darkness, and a 
score or two of those who were in the secret slipped out, one at 
a time, only to be collared, as they emerged from the tunnel, by 
silent guardsmen, who quietly returned them to the inside of 



252 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

the inclosure. The officer of the day was quick to discover 
their plan, and had promptly posted men at the point of exit, 
whose summary action went far to cure this mania for escaping. 

An organized attempt had been made, at an earlier day, to 
break down the fence at one end of the grounds, and this was 
partially successful, but not a man was permitted to get away. 
The ringleaders in the plot looted the sutler's establishment, 
which was in the grounds ; but Lieutenant Kilgore, with an 
ample detail of guards, quickly searched the entire camp, to 
such purpose that nearly everything of value was recovered. 
In his gratitude the sutler insisted upon presenting the lieuten- 
ant with a gold watch, and would take no refusal. 

Colonel John Irvin, of the 149th, as the ranking officer of the 
two regiments, commanded the entire force, and, with the advice 
and assistance of Major Jones, ably administered the affairs of 
the post. Guard-mounting and dress parade were observed with 
due formality, and, by consolidating the music of the two com- 
mands under the leadership of an excellent musician from the 
149th, an imposing and most efficient drum corps was created, 
whose performances attracted crowds of admiring citizens to the 
neighborhood of the barracks. Some of the mounted officers, 
in their abundant leisure, conceived a fancy for driving, and 
having broken their mixed assortment of horses to harness, 
made frequent excursions to " Uncle Dick's" and other well- 
known resorts near the city, where they were always sure to 
find something better than ordinary camp fare. In their bound- 
less ambition a " four-in-hand" was set up for a brief period, 
with Quartermaster Voorhis as "whip;" but, as Adjutant 
Wright expresses it, " it was not a howling success." 

The regiment enjoyed comparative quiet at Elmira until the 
beginning of May, when an exciting diversion was afforded it in 
the shape of an expedition to Fall Brook, Tioga County, Penn- 
sylvania, to quell a "strike" of coal-miners at workings in which 
" General" Magee was largely interested. Matters had assumed 



FENNS YL VANIA VOL UNTEERS. 253 

an ugly phase, and the local authorities finding themselves un- 
able to cope with the riotous workmen, appealed to Governor 
Curtin for military aid. The nearest available troops were at 
Elmira, but much red tape had to be gone through before their 
services could be obtained. The governor finally succeeded in 
arranging the matter with the Secretary of War and the com- 
mander of the department, and on or about the 7th of May the 
150th was ordered to start for the scene of the disturbance. In 
the absence of Major Jones, who was in Philadelphia on leave, 
Captain Sigler marshalled the regiment, and, scenting battle in 
the air, loaded his men on a special train with commendable 
alacrity. The journey occupied an entire night, the train halt- 
ing at several points to pick up the sheriff of Tioga County 
and large bodies of armed deputies. The sheriff was a man of 
strong backbone, and expressed the belief that he could over- 
come all resistance with his own force; but the military, he 
thought, would meet with no opposition, while loss of life would 
inevitably result if only himself and his deputies appeared upon 
the scene. The correctness of his judgment was shown by the 
sequel. 

Fall Brook was reached at daybreak, and from one to two 
hundred tired and hungry soldiers were quickly in line along 
the railroad track, calculating the chances of a " square meal," 
but ready for instant service, if demanded. Captain Sigler was 
met at the train by Mr. Brewer, general superintendent of the 
mines, and on inquiring of the latter what was wanted of him, 
received the gratifying reply, " The first thing we want of you 
and your command is to come and get a good breakfast, which 
is now ready for you." 

The captain, whose faith in every soldier of his command was 
absolute, at once ordered arms to be stacked, and a detail of two 
or three guards placed over them while the regiment took the 
offered refreshment. The adjutant, less trustful than his supe- 
rior, took care to detail two or three of the best men in the 



254 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

ranks for this duty, and himself kept a watchful eye on the 
arms during the absence of the main body. He relates that 
the smile which had previously irradiated the superintendent's 
face "quickly vanished at the idea of allowing a lot of guns and 
ammunition to stand on one side of the railroad track, in the 
keeping of so insignificant a guard, with a howling mob of 
women and boys on the other side, and five hundred armed 
men close by, desperate enough to undertake anything. The 
mining official mildly suggested an increase of the force, but the 
captain only laughed at his fears, and the boys went for their 
breakfast." 

In all sincerity. Captain Sigler — although his confidence in his 
Bucktails was justified by the result, for nothing was molested 
during the meal — treated the situation far too lightly, and might 
have suffered for so grave a military error. Fortunately, the 
guards had nothing more serious to contend with than the 
vituperative tongues of a crowd of angry women, which served 
to amuse rather than offend them. 

The insurrectionary force of miners, numbering about five 
hundred, armed with guns, revolvers, knives, and bludgeons, 
was located at the edge of a wood, a mile and a half or two 
miles east of the village. Thither Captain Sigler led his little 
battalion, after all had satisfactorily breakfasted, revolving his 
plan of attack as he went. In a hollow, not far from the wood, 
and out of sight of the miners, he deployed his column, and 
detaching a small body of men from each wing, sent them 
under trusty officers to get on the flanks of the insurrectionary 
force within fifteen minutes. Lieutenant Kilgore commanded 
the flanking party on the right and Captain Beckwith the one 
on the left, and as soon as these were seen to have gained their 
proper places, the main line advanced rapidly and in good order 
until it reached a point about a hundred yards from the wood. 
Here the line was halted, in plain view of the strikers, and 
Captain Sigler, accompanied by his adjutant, the sheriff, and 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 255 

Superintendent Brewer, went forward to the edge of the wood 
and demanded their surrender, giving them three minutes to 
come out and lay down their arms. With this stern summons 
they promptly complied, and thus ended a quasi insurrection 
which at one time promised " no end" of damage to property, 
as well as bloodshed. Several of the ringleaders were arrested 
on the spot and taken back to the village, where they were duly 
arraigned before a magistrate and committed for trial. A squad 
of soldiers escorted them to the Wellsborough jail. 

Lieutenant Fisher* was sent with a detachment of men to 
Blossburg, where some difficulty was apprehended, but the pro- 
foundest peace prevailed after his arrival. 

The rest of the regiment was billeted for several days in the 

* Lieutenant Harvey Fisher was commissioned captain of Company 
A, March 6, 1864, but, on account of the absence of Captain Widdis (who 
during his long term of imprisonment in the South had been commis- 
sioned major and heutenant-colonel), could not be mustered in his new 
grade. He died at Atlantic City, New Jersey, August 31, 1885. Born at 
"Wakefield," Germantown, November 4, 1843, his youth was passed in 
that beautiful rural quarter, and here he imbibed that love of athletic 
sports which was so much a characteristic of the youth of the neighbor- 
hood in his time. From the Germantown Academy he entered the Uni- 
versity of Pennsylvania, but in the second year of the war, impelled by a 
high sense of patriotism, he left his class and entered the 150th as second 
lieutenant of Company A, being then not quite nineteen years old. From 
the autumn of 1863 until the close of hostilities he commanded his com- 
pany with marked ability, enjoying the respect and esteem of his men 
and the good opinion of his fellow-officers as well as of his superiors in 
rank. 

With the exception of two years spent in planting cotton, in Louisiana, 
at the close of the war, he was occupied for the most part in the manufact- 
ure of iron at Duncannon, Pennsylvania, where he lived up to the time of 
his death. His taking-off, in the prime of manhood, brought sadness to 
a large circle of relatives, and fell with the sharpness of a personal loss 
on those who, having shared with him the fatigues and dangers of the 
field, admired him for his many sterling traits, and gave him to the end 
full measure of soldierly affection. 



256 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

village of Fall Brook, and lived literally on the " fat of the land," 
receiving the kindest attentions not only from the permanent 
population, but even from the miners and their families. 

To quote from the adjutant's account of the expedition : "The 
head-quarters of the command was in the house of a Mr. (or 
Mrs.) Smith, where Mr. Magee also made his home when at the 
mines, and a royal good place it was, — everything as clean as a 
pin, and the table furnished with everything, cooked and served 
in the best style. Mr. Magee would have nothing roasted in a 
stove, but, instead, in a large oven, a whole quarter of large veal 
being brought on the table in one piece, as brown as a nut. 

" Stock ale was on tap at a dozen places, free for the men ; 
ale also on tap at the head-quarters, with the addition of prime 
rye whiskey ; and two English servants were at hand to do our 
bidding." 

General Magee seems to have been very favorably impressed 
with the conduct of the regiment, and had much to say in com- 
mendation of its discipline. Soon after its return to Elmira, at 
the end of this extraordinary "picnic" of three or four days, 
he sent a considerable sum of money to be distributed among 
the men, of which each received not less than five or six dollars. 
In no other way could he have shown more gratifying testimony 
of his appreciation of their services, by which a formidable 
mutiny — for it could hardly be called a "strike" — had been put 
down in the shortest possible time, without the shedding of a 
drop of blood. He also sent a large number of passes over 
various railroads in the State of New York, enabling the offi- 
cers to make inexpensive excursions to Niagara Falls and other 
points of interest within easy reach. Nor did his generosity 
stop here. Before leaving Fall Broolc a number of the officers 
were warmly urged by him to return a little later and join him 
in a trout-fishing expedition, as his guests. A party was accord- 
ingly made up, and started in due time for the scene of the re- 
cent triumph, neglecting, however, to notify the general of the 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLLNTEERS. 257 

date of its coming. As good luck would have it, the officers 
composing the party met him, on their arrival at Corning, on his 
way to New York City to attend a meeting of the Bituminous 
Coal Association, of which he was president. Without a mo- 
ment's hesitation he instructed his secretary to notify the board 
by telegraph that the meeting was postponed indefinitely, and, 
ordering his private car and locomotive, conveyed his unex- 
pected guests in great style to Fall Brook. As the streams in 
that vicinity were much discolored by rain, which made the first 
day's fishing a failure, teams were provided, with abundant store 
of refreshments of every kind, and on more distant waters the 
party enjoyed several days of delightful sport. 

Elmira was now beginning to fill up with returning New 
York regiments, awaiting their final pay and muster-out. After 
the long and severe restraint to which they had been subjected 
at the front, they naturally chafed under the restrictions imposed 
upon them almost in the shadow of their own homes, and the 
fact that Pennsylvania troops furnished the patrols and assisted 
in maintaining the peace of the city created a growing feeling 
of animosity towards them. It culminated in something very 
like a conspiracy to " tear out" the two Keystone regiments, 
although these had displayed a most friendly disposition on all 
occasions, voluntarily assisting in the many entertainments set 
on foot by the New York organizations for their own exclusive 
benefit. On the evening chosen for the hostile demonstration a 
recently returned company of artillery, which had drifted into 
the plot, discovered — almost at the last moment — that the troops 
against which the riotous movement was aimed were the very 
" Bucktails" who, on the first day at Gettysburg, when Hill and 
Ewell were closing in on Doubleday's shattered forces, in their 
final stand near the seminary, had, at the risk of their own capt- 
ure, — perhaps their annihilation, — saved their battery by hold- 
ing the enemy in check while the pieces were limbered and 
drawn from the field. The memory of this noble deed, and of 

17 



258 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH 

the courage and self-sacrifice which accompanied it, stayed the 
hands of the artillerists and sent their sympathies surging in the 
direction of the menaced Pennsylvanians. Instantly they with^ 
drew from the clamorous mob and, denouncing its proposed 
action as both cowardly and unsoldierlike, put their guns in 
position to defend the Bucktail barracks. With their defection 
the whole infamous scheme of attack fell to pieces. 

Had the assault been made, as originally intended, the two 
little Pennsylvania regiments, with their quick-firing breech- 
loaders, would have given a good account of themselves, doubt- 
less maintaining a successful defence ; but as the New Yorkers 
still retained their arms, a bloody conflict, such as this threatened 
to be, would have cast a painful gloom over the closing days of 
their long and honorable service. 

The closing days had come. The war was at an end. The 
" Confederacy" upon which the hopes of the South had centred, 
and into whose treasury its wealth had been poured without 
stint, had crumbled at last, leaving its people poor and helpless, 
to be encouraged and started again on the way to prosperity 
by the benign government against which they had so treason- 
ably revolted. Nothing remained but to disband the great 
armies whose steadfast loyalty to the Union, patient endurance, 
and sublime courage had accomplished the gigantic task as- 
signed them. This work was already in progress, and every- 
where the restless soldier was resuming the garb and occupation 
of the peaceful citizen. 

On the 23d of June, at Elmira, after two years and ten months 
of active service, the 150th was mustered out by Captain James 
R. Reid, lOth United States Infantry, Assistant Commissary of 
Muster. Among those responding to their names were some 
who had recently returned from Southern prison-pens, and still 
bore painful traces of their long confinement and unnecessarily 
cruel treatment. At five o'clock on the following afternoon, 
accompanied by the 149th, which had been mustered out that 



PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 259 

day, the regiment took train on the Northern Central Railroad 
for Harrisburg. Arriving opposite that city on the 25th, the 
twin commands left the cars, and, crossing the Susquehanna on 
the wagon bridge, made an imposing entry, to which the superb 
music of their consolidated drum corps lent additional eclat. At 
Camp Curtin tents were ready for their use, and here, for the 
most part, both officers and men rested for the next few days, 
while awaiting their final pay. Perhaps it is a mistake to say 
that they "rested." The 150th was never busier. There were 
so many things to do, so many things to say, so many photo- 
graphs to be taken and exchanged, so many reminiscences to 
be rehearsed, so many plans for the future to be talked over, so 
many promises to be registered, before the parting of these men, 
who, by a common sentiment of patriotism and participation in 
the same toils and dangers, side by side, for years, had been 
bound together as closely as brothers. Who has not borne 
arms in exhausting campaigns — sleeping often upon the hard 
earth, watching on lonely outposts through anxious nights, 
marching, heavy-laden and weary, day after day, joining in the 
wild tumult of battle, dividing the scanty biscuit or the failing 
treasure of the canteen in hours of hunger or thirst, and tasting 
all the sweet comradeship begotten of community of suffering 
and peril — can never realize the fulness of the soldier's mind 
and heart on the eve of disbandment. 

At last came the pay, — first to the 149th, then to the 150th. 
On the afternoon of June 29, Major C. Baird, Paymaster U.S.A., 
counted out the crisp notes which squared the wage account 
between the government and these faithful servants. 

By a wise provision of the War Department, each man was 
permitted to retain his gun on payment of a moderate sum, 
and few there were who did not avail themselves of the oppor- 
tunity to possess themselves of so precious a souvenir. 

Many promotions were made, by commission, in the last 
weeks of the regiment's service, but without muster. The 



26o ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH PENNA. VOLS. 

record of these is complete in Bates's monumental work, — 
" History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers," — and it need 
scarcely be said that in every instance the advancement was 
well deserved. In bestowing upon Major George W. Jones 
the lieutenant-colonelcy in May, and the colonelcy on the 
15th of June, 1865, the State authorities did tardy justice to 
a gallant and successful commander. 

On the night of June 29 and the morning of the 30th, amid 
smiles and tears and hand-shakings and embraces, into which 
a world of feeling entered, the last good-byes were spoken, and 
singly and in groups the members of the regiment scattered to 
their homes; some to wed again the trades and occupations from 
which the call to arms had divorced them ; others to enter upon 
new pursuits of which they had little dreamed when they flocked 
to the colors ; others still — boys, sprung swiftly to manhood — to 
begin serious preparation for their life-work; all, with an added 
shade of thoughtfulness and a deeper love of country, to accept 
manfully and discharge cheerfully each higher obligation of 
American citizenship. Forgotten were the hardships and suf- 
ferings of the dark days of the war, or remembered only as a 
background against which shone more luminously the pleasant 
incidents, the golden deeds and experiences, the incomparable 
friendships of those years of civil strife ; and not a heart but 
beat with honest pride at the thought of having contributed — 
however modestly — to the restoration of the "Union of the 
Fathers." That feeling was to grow — those memories to be- 
come priceless — with passing time, and the record of the patri- 
otism, courage, endurance, and patient suffering of these return- 
ing " volunteers" to be accepted as the richest of all heritages 
by their children and their children's children. 



APPENDIX. 



PRISON LIFE IN DIXIE. 



I. 



THE MARCH FROM GETTYSBURG TO RICHMOND — BELL ISLAND — EXTRACTS 
FROM THE DIARY OF FRANK H. ELVIDGE, OF COMPANY A. 

In forwarding his diaries to be used in the preparation of the history of 
the regiment, Elvidge writes, "You may find the record of the march made 
by those of us who were taken prisoners at Gettysburg of some interest. 
This march of one hundred and seventy-five niiles, or that part of it from 
Martinsburg, Virginia, to Staunton, at the head of the Shenandoah Valley, 
I made barefoot over the rough turnpike road, and continued so until my 
final parole and my arrival at Annapolis, Maryland, on September 30, 
1863." 

[On the 4th of July the column of prisoners, composed of between one 
and two hundred commissioned officers and more than three thousand 
enlisted men, entered upon the long journey, marching about six miles 
through a hard rain. The rebel wagon trains were hurrying to the rear, 
and there was every indication of a desire on the part of General Lee to 
put the Potomac between his own and Meade's army as quickly as pos- 
sible.] 

" July 5. — Rebel wagon trains cut off. Marched to Monterey Springs. 
Reached that place about midnight, passing Fairfield and Cumberland 
Gap. The town is torn completely out by the ' rebs.' Very muddy and 
dirty. 

"July 6. — Marched all day and night, passing through Waynesborough 
and Waterloo. In the former place all the houses were closed, and the 
people would have nothing to do with the ' rebs.* 

"Jiclyj. — Came through Hagerstown. Reached the Potomac about 
noon, making thirty hours at one stretch. Rained hard all night. No 
shelter. People mostly loyal. 

" Jicly 8. — Started to cross the Potomac at Williamsport, but for some 
reason or other we were sent back to camp, where we lay all day. 

261 



262 APPENDIX. 

"July g. — Crossed the river. Took all day to cross. Got no rations to- 
day. Herb [Elvidge's brother] was lucky enough to get a loaf of bread in 
Williamsport as we were going through. 

''July lo. — Marched two miles beyond Martinsburg, passing through 
Falling Waters, making fifteen miles in the afternoon. People mostly 
loyal. No rations yet. Somebody has been kind enough to relieve me of 
my shoes. 

" Jti/y II. — Marched to within a mile and a half of Winchester, which 
place we reached about two o'clock at night. Drew the first rations to-day 
for three days. Had no shoes. Suffered terribly on the march, 

"July 12. — Passed through Winchester. Marched about five miles and 
rested for the remainder of the day. Drew rations of flour and meat. 
Several hospitals full of Milroy's wounded. 

"July ij. — Marched about fifteen miles, passing through Kernstown, 
Bordensville, Newtown, and Middletown. Crossed Cedar Creek on a 
temporary bridge. Rained very heavily most of the day. 

"July 14. — Marched twenty-three miles, passing through Strasburg, 
Woodstock, Thomasbrook. Suffer a good deal for want of rations. 

"July 75. — Met the rebel Relief Committee on the way to Gettysburg. 
Marched fourteen miles, making a noon halt to draw rations. Passed 
through Hawkinstown, Mount Jackson, and Newmarket. First time we 
got enough to eat. 

"July 16. — Marched nineteen miles, passing through Harrisonburg. 
Pretty nice place. All the country out to see us. Rained all night. 

"July ly. — Marched twenty miles, passing through Mount Crawford 
and Mount Sidney. We are now within four miles of Staunton. 

"July 18. — Reached Staunton at last. Searched, and our things taken 
away from us. Lay here the rest of the day. 

"July ig. — Seven hundred men started to-day for Richmond (by train). 
Officers went yesterday. Tried hard enough to get away with them, but 
could not make it. 

"July 20. — Started from Staunton at ten a.m., and reached that place 
[Richmond] about three o'clock the next morning. 

"July 21. — Lay in the tobacco warehouse opposite Castle Thunder until 
ten. Then started for Bell Island, where we were paroled. 

"July 22. — Seven hundred more prisoners brought in to-day from 
Staunton. 

"July 2j. — Meat and bread twice to-day, instead of soup. Got outside 
and had a wash in the James River ; also washed my suit. 

"July 2g. — Reports that our army is at Culpeper and Staunton, fighting. 
" Au£usl I. — Took about one thousand out to go North. 



APPENDIX. 263 

" Augusts. — All taken outside, searched, and counted, which took all day. 

"August 4. — All taken outside again. Counted off in hundreds instead 
of nineties. . . . Also got outside to the river and had a wash. Captured 
a handful of soap from the commissary. 

"August ^. — About four hundred of the prisoners have arrived from 
Staunton. I can't imagine what has kept them so long. There are some 
left there yet. They are all flush with grub. 

" August 6. — More prisoners have come in, about four hundred in 
number, part from Staunton and the rest from Culpeper. One of our 
men hoisted the rebel flag to-day for half a loaf of bread. 

"August 7. — About one hundred prisoners from Grant's army came in 
to-day. They report that Grant has got down as far as Corinth. For the 
first time since I was a prisoner washed with soap. 

" August II, — There was a star to be seen to-day, about four o'clock. 
Regarded as an omen. 

" August ij. — Several got away last night. One of the 14th Brooklyn 
was brought back and punished. 

"August 14. — We have had quite an excitement here to-day. One of the 
euards shot three men, killing two almost instantly and wounding another 
in the head. They had the little gun on the hill loaded with grape and 
canister, ready if there were any fuss. 

" August 21. — This is the day Jeft' Davis, in his proclamation, has set 
apart as a day of fasting and prayer for the recent reverses which have 
befallen them. 

" August 2j. — Moved into new tents. Have a blanket under and over 
me now, so I am very well fixed. 

" August 28. — A squad of about two hundred and eighty sick went out. 
Alarm-bells were ringing for about two hours in the city, our cavalry 
being at Bottom Bridge on a raid. 

" August 2g. — Harry Laut took charge of the ' hundred' to-day. 

" August 31. — Moody and Baldwin have left the squad and Hausman 
[John, of Company A] come into it. 

" September 3. — Several of the men have been informed on, taken out- 
side, and all their money taken away from them. One man, who was 
found to be drawing [rations] in two squads, was taken out and bucked 
and gagged. 

" September ^. — I tried for the first time cracking one of those big bones, 
and it was splendid, — full of fat and grease. There is a good deal of 
strength in it. 

" September 8. — Heavy trains loaded with troops have been going out 
from the city. They must be re-enforcing Bragg or Beauregard. 



264 APPENDIX. 

" September g. — As usual, nothing of importance going on, and my time 
has been spent in the same monotonous way. Nothing at all to do but to 
work on bones. If I only had a knife of my own, I could pass my time 
pretty well. 

" Septetnber 10. — Two guards and six men made their escape last night 
by digging through the bank at the upper end of the camp. 

" September ij. — Another man was shot last night, going to the sink. 

" September ig. — Paroling slowly again. Hausman was out with the 
fourth squad, so he is all right. 

" Septe7nber 21. — Seven hundred and twenty prisoners left for City Point. 
Hausman and two more of our regiment went along with them. 

'' September 2^. — Laut resigned his position as sergeant yesterday. The 
alarm-bells in the city were rung again last night. Old Bragg got another 
whipping in Tennessee. 

" Septetnber 2j. — To-day we have been very busy paroling. About four 
hundred from the South came in, and four hundred from the inside go 
North, and I am among the lucky ones. I tried very hard for ' Loudy' 
[LautJ, but was put off. 

" Septeinber 28. — At last I am able to chronicle the day that sets me free 
from Bell Island, and a happy one it is. It was impossible to get ' Loudy' 
off, though I did my best for him. We are now lying in the same ware- 
house that we did when we came in from Staunton ten weeks ago. 

" September 2g. — Started from Richmond about four o'clock, on the cars, 
reaching City Point at eleven o'clock. Changed cars at Petersburg. No 
waiting, but stepped right on board the ' New York' and started. I thank 
the Lord that I am at last under the stars and stripes ! 

" September JO. — At last I have on a good new suit of clothes. Washed 
well with soap. In fact, I feel like another man. After going all night, 
reached Annapolis about seven o'clock a.m. Marched to College Green 
Barracks. Met all the boys there." 

[It will be observed that Elvidge, in his memoranda, nowhere complains 
in harsh terms of the treatment he received from the rebel guards, and in- 
dulges in no criticism of the United States government for not taking more 
active measures to hasten the exchange of Union prisoners. With youth, 
strength, and good digestion on his side, he seems to have accepted the 
situation with fortitude, and to have borne every privation uncomplain- 
ingly. His pocket-notes, extending over a period of two years and a half, 
breathe throughout a spirit of unshaken patriotism.] 



APPENDIX. 265 

II. 

LIEUTENANT J. Q. CARPENTER'S RECOLLECTIONS. 

Lieutenant Carpenter, of Company E, who commanded his company 
in the battle of Gettysburg, July i, 1863, relates that he was captured in the 
town on the afternoon of that day, and with other prisoners marched out 
the Chambersburg road a mile or two, and slept that night in a large red 
barn. On the 2d he was permitted to run around and assist the wounded, 
and through his efforts Lieutenant Henry Chancellor was carried into the 
McPherson barn. On the 3d, with several fellow- prisoners, he started 
northward, hoping to evade the rebel guards, but was intercepted and 
brought back by a cavalry patrol. 

On the 4th the march towards Richmond began, the details of which it 
is unnecessary to dwell upon. On reaching Richmond he was confined 
with some hundreds of Union officers in the third story of Libby Prison, 
where he remained until May, 1864. Then a series of compulsory mi- 
grations began, in which he was involved, lasting — with several long 
intervals of rest — until near the close of the war. The first long journey 
was by rail to Macon, Georgia, where the prisoners were confined at the 
Fair Grounds outside of the city. While there he united with others in an 
effort to escape by digging a tunnel under the stockade, but these oper- 
ations were discovered and the scheme thwarted. 

Towards the end of July, with several hundred Union officers, all drawn 
by lot, he was transferred by rail to Charleston, South Carolina, to be placed 
under fire. After being confined for some time in the grounds of the city 
jail, one-half of the number were accommodated at Roper Hospital, under 
parole, and the other half at the Marine Hospital. Here they watched the 
shells which were thrown into the city by the " Swamp Angel," and which, 
at night, furnished (in Lieutenant Carpenter's language) a " beautiful ex- 
hibition of fireworks." In September, Lieutenant Carpenter, with the other 
prisoners, was removed by train to Columbia, and put in an open field 
surrounded by guards. While en rottte to Columbia the lieutenant and a 
number of other officers leaped from the train and took to the woods ; but 
after wandering around for ten days, pursued by blood-hounds, a defective 
compass led them into the outskirts of Columbia, where they were secured. 
Here they were confined in the grounds of the lunatic asylum, the lieu- 
tenant spending several days in the asylum on a pretence of sickness. 

Shortly before the arrival of Sherman's troops at Columbia, Lieutenant 
Carpenter and his brother. Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Emlen Carpenter, 
of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, made another earnest effort to escape 
to the Union lines. ' They were finally "rounded up" by men and dogs. 



266 APPENDIX. 

and returned to custody at Columbia. Here, a day or two prior to General 
Logan's advent, they managed to secrete themselves in a loft, and on the 
appearance of the troops walked forth to freedom. 

Accompanying Logan's corps to Fayetteville, Lieutenant Carpenter went 
thence to Wilmington by tug-boat, and from the latter point by steamer to 
Baltimore. 

While he retains no very pleasant recollections of his captivity in 
"Dixie," the lieutenant both preached and practised a cheerful phi- 
losophy in all his trials, and returned to his friends with the same 
abounding good-humor which characterized him before his capture. 



in. 

EXTRACTS FROM CAPTAIN H. W. GIMBER'S NARRATIVE OF HIS EXPERI- 
ENCES AS A PRISONER OF WAR. 

Captain H. W. Gimber, of Company F, was captured near the semi- 
nary on the afternoon of the first day of the battle of Gettysburg, and 
shared the long march to Staunton, Virginia, and the journey by rail from 
that point to Richmond, where he arrived on the i8th of July, 1863. As 
so much has been written and printed concerning life in Libby Prison, the 
portion of his narrative relating to his confinement there is passed over, 
and the " Extracts" begin with his departure for Macon, Georgia. 

" Left Richmond by train (cattle cars) May 7, 1864, and arrived at Dan- 
ville, Virginia, on the morning of the 8th, where we were confined in 
the military prison. On the 12th we left for Greensborough, North Caro- 
lina. Walked seven miles of the road, the track not being completed. 
Arrived near Greensborough in the night and camped in the fields. Rain ; 
soaked to the skin. Took cars on the morning of the 13th and reached 
Greensborough about eight a.m. Proceeded by train to Charlotte, arriving 
there in the evening. 

" On the 14th took train and reached Columbia, South Carolina, in the 
evening. Thence again by train, and reached Augusta, Georgia, on the 
evening of the 1 5th. Remained in the cars, sixty to a car, with wet clothes 
and blankets. On the morning of the i6th went ten miles out of Augusta, 
lay there until four p.m., and then started for Macon. Arrived at Macon 
about seven a.m. on the 17th. Taken to a large park outside of the city. 
The enclosure contained about two acres, with some shade trees. Over 
one thousand officers quartered here. 

" One of our officers, Captain Van Buren, who escaped on the way here, 
states that he was taken to Andersonville, Georgia, where our enlisted men 



APPENDIX. 267 

are kept. He says they are in a large lot, with no shelter and scarcely 
enough room to move about in, scanty clothing and covering, and insuffi- 
cient food. They die at the rate of thirty and sometimes fifty per day. 
During March and April eleven hundred died. He states that they have 
become almost idiotic. They have been shamefully used. Barbariaiis cou/d 
7iot treat thetn "cuorse thajt the rebels do. They have 710 eiiergy, no purpose, — 
a7-e like ivortt-out cattle tu7-nedoutto die. They see their fate a7idca7i7tot stave 
it off. There is 710 epide77iic ; they die of e.xhaustio7i a7id brokcTi hearts. 

" Left Macon for Charleston, South Carolina, on the 27th of July. 
Started in the evening by train (cattle cars, as usual), and arrived in 
Charleston on the morning of the 29th. As soon as we got out of the cars 
we saw the shells from our guns bursting in the city. They marched us 
in a scorching sun across the Ashley River and through the city to the 
outskirts of the ' burnt district,' into the city jail-yard, among deserters, 
murderers, thieves, negro soldiers, etc. ; gave us tents, which we put up in 
the filthy yard. All the offal and garbage of the prison is placed in the yard, 
and the stench is horrible. Most of the ' First Families' have left the city 
on account of the shelling, and the best part of the place is deserted. 

"The poor of Charleston gave us water and milk, and evinced more 
kindness than the people of any place we have been in. Before our 
' general' and ' field' officers were exchanged, which was about three days 
after our arrival, we were issued fresh meat and fresh bread, — food that 
had been a stranger to our stomachs for months. As soon as the fifty 
officers left, they gave us corn-meal and lard one day, and rice and lard 
the next. We are treated in the same manner as the felons. Two hundred 
officers, consisting mostly of the ' field' and their lackeys, were transferred 
to the work-house adjoining, where they enjoyed much better quarters, 
separate from the convicts. 

" There was a secret association gotten up among the officers while we 
were at Macon, only such being received as could be relied upon, and a 
plan was laid to capture the train at Pocotalico Station, a distance of ten 
miles from our lines. Everything was ready, and each was assigned his 
part in the execution of the scheme, which was to disarm the guards in- 
side and charge those on top of the cars. All were determined, and the 
majority of us would have been free but for the want of nerve on the part 
of the officer who was in charge of the plot, and was to have given the 
signal. We could have cheated the Confederacy out of six hundred offi- 
cers, and deprived it of the hellish satisfaction of maltreating us. 

" Three hundred and fifty officers were transferred to the Roper Hos- 
pital, August 17, and two hundred and thirty to the Marine Hospital, — in 
both cases paroled. Rations improved. 



268 APPENDIX. 

"At Charleston we raised money from a blockade runner on bills of 
exchange, five dollars in Confederate scrip for one dollar of good money. 
We purchased potatoes, peanuts, peppers, and groceries from the darky 
women who stood in front of Roper Hospital. They were slaves, who were 
permitted by their masters to earn a few pennies at their leisure. 

" While at Charleston the yellow fever broke out, and many officers 
were taken sick and died. The disease spread so rapidly, and shells were 
thrown so numerously, that the authorities concluded to remove us. 

" Left Charleston October 5, 1864. Arrived at Columbia on the morning 
of the 6th, and lay in the road all day. At night we were placed in a yard 
adjacent to the depot. Rained hard all night. Wrapped ourselves in our 
blankets and went to sleep in the mud. One of the officers was stabbed 
with a bayonet for buying some food. Next morning we were marched 
out two miles from the city and placed in a large field, without shelter. 
Were allowed to go out under guard to gather cedar boughs, with wjiich 
we built ourselves shelter from sun and wind, but had no protection from 
rain. Fed on corn-meal and a small quantity of sorghum molasses, — no 
meat of any kind. 

" After being placed in the hospital at Charleston, we received better 
usage from the officers, men, and citizens than in any other town in the 
Confederacy. This change may have been brought about by the lesson 
taught daily by General Gillmore, — a fotxible lesson. While marching 
through the streets on the way to the cars, the citizens stood in groups at 
their doors, and many remarked what a handsome set of men the United 
States officers were. There were among us, in fact, some of the finest- 
looking men I ever saw. The women in Charleston asked us why we did 
not go home and let the South alone. As we were leaving the city, Foster 
commenced shelling furiously. While there we had many very narrow 
escapes. Pieces of shell flew into the building and yard. When a shell 
came over, and we happened to be in the yard, we would lie close in to the 
stone fence. We could tell by the sound exactly which way the shell was 
coming. 

" Left the camp in the field, called ' Sorghum,' on the 12th of December, 
and marched to and through Columbia to the grounds of the lunatic asy- 
lum, a part of which was fenced off to pen up the 'Yanks.' Before enter- 
ing the enclosure we were told by the rebel commandant that houses were 
laid out for us, and tools and lumber would be furnished for their construc- 
tion. If any lumber was destroyed or tools were missing the value would 
be deducted from our money in their hands. One house was partly put up, 
and the post-holes for the rest were dug and some posts planted, but not a 
board was supplied to continue the work with. Some old tents were issued. 



APPENDIX. 269 

but many officers were without shelter, and the weather was cold and rainy. 
No meat issued since we left Charleston. Plenty of meat at the sutler's at 
exorbitant prices, but none to issue. Fourteen dollars in Confederate scrip 
for a dinner for five ; seven dollars Confederate for one dollar greenback ; 
twenty-five dollars Confederate for one dollar gold. Money sufficient in 
the rebels' hands to keep us from starving, but they would not issue it. 

" Left the stockade at Columbia on the night of the 14th of February,, 
marched to the depot, about half a mile, through the mud and rain, and 
stood in the rain about two hours awaiting transportation. The cars were 
filled with refugees. The rich men of Columbia were offering any price to 
have their families and goods taken away, to escape the ruthless hands of 
the ' Yanks,' as Sherman was reported near Columbia. Next day we left 
for Charlotte, North Carolina. In the night the engine ran into some cows 
and was thrown from the track. Next day we had beef rations. Were 
detained until about noon, when, a siding having been completed, we 
moved on and reached Charlotte about ten p.m. Slept in the cars. Next 
morning we were marched to a field near the city and encamped. In the 
night a little rice-meal and meat was issued, sufficient to make one meal. 
Nothing all the next day, and no rations of any kind on the following day. 
Borrowed a few Confederate beans and made a dinner. 

"Rumors that an arrangement had been made for a general exchange 
were rife. 

"Left Charlotte on the morning of February 21. Cars all taken up by 
refugees and stores. Went thirteen miles and the engine gave out. The 
engineer tried to fix it, but without success. We lay at a place called Har- 
risburg three days, then got on another train and reached High Point, 
fifteen miles from Greensborough. All was confusion when we arrived. 
A train had run off the track, and it took twenty-four hours to remove it. 
Wheedled our passage on a passenger train. I got in a car filled with our 
enlisted men, and such a distressing sight I have seldom witnessed. The 
men were half naked, and the stench from the dirt that was ground into 
their skin was stifling. The car took fire, and the flames were beginning 
to assume alarming proportions when we arrived at Greensborough. Got 
out, and the officers were placed in an old shed. Weather rainy and mis- 
erable. The train for Raleigh was to be ready in half an hour. We were 
half famished and chilled. The rebels, for what reason I cannot divine, 
issued a barrel of sorghum and a bag of corn-meal. We relieved ourselves 
by a little expression of our sentiments in the presence of a gaping crowd 
of Confederate officers. 

" Left Greensborough in the evening and arrived at Raleigh the next 
evening, where we were not allowed to purchase anything. City under 



2/0 APPENDIX. 

martial law. Every road was picketed. Citizens were not allowed to come 
near us. The military are hated, and the poor suffer beyond description. 
A scene occurred illustrative of the chivalry of the South. A poor negro, 
who had attempted to sell the ' Yanks' cakes, was arrested and placed 
under two Confederate guards. Of a sudden the darky ran, and the rebel 
officer ordered the men to shoot. Each guard aimed in turn, but the hand 
■ of Providence was over the innocent ' nigger.' The guns missed fire, and 
we ' Yanks' sent up a derisive shout. 

"Nothing could exceed the bitter hatred and pusillanimous revenge of 
the rebel. With intelligence little above that of the animals, he showed as 
little feeling. While we were in Libby Prison we would sometimes go to 
the window for a little air, and but for the timely warning of our friends 
many more would have been murdered than were. As it was, about a half- 
dozen were killed or wounded. The ' rebs' would watch all day for a shot 
at us ; would even get off their posts to kill a Yankee. At Macon one man 
was promoted to orderly sergeant and given a leave of absence for two 
weeks for killing an officer of the 45th New York. This was cold-blooded 
murder, as the officer was inside of the ' dead line,' stooping at the spring to 
get a drink. At the camp in the field near Columbia we had several valu- 
able officers murdered without any provocation. One man merely reached 
his hand over the ' dead line' to get an axe that had been thrown over. 
The sentry, who had made many threats, shot him through the heart. 

" Major Griswold, in command of the prisoners, pressed a passenger 
train and we went on and reached Goldsborough about ten p.m. Marched 
to the court-house, which was filled with officers who had arrived before us. 
Slept out on the muddy ground. Next day, 27th, we were startled by the 
receipt of one day's ration, which was soon disposed of. 

" Left Goldsborough the next day, February 28, on an empty stomach, 
after signing the parole. Stimulated alone by the excitement, we took our 
usual place on top of freight cars. Next morning we reached a point about 
five miles from neutral ground, and lay by to allow the ' Truce' train, with 
Captain Hatch, Exchange Agent C.S.A., to pass and establish the truce. 
In about ten minutes we started, in fifteen minutes we passed the rebel 
vedettes, and in five minutes more we stopped. The rebel guards were 
drawn up on either side of the train. We got off and were counted by an 
officer from each government. General Abbott was in charge of the truce. 
Our officers looked magnificent in their beautiful uniforms, and our men 
were hardy and soldierly, — something entirely different from what we had 
been used to for some time. On leaving the rebels behind and passing 
along our lines, the air seemed lighter and the sun shone out propitiously. 
Old bags, blankets, and clothing were thrown around promiscuously. 



APPENDIX. 271 

Such hearty, happy cheers, such spontaneous outbursts of gladness, were 
rarely heard or witnessed. The delight we all experienced was absolutely 
ineffable. We marched through the swamps, passed our pickets ; I heard 
a wild yell at the head of our column ; I looked, and lo ! it was the old 
flag ! Many cried with joy at the sight of it. I shouted until I was hoarse. 
The whole Twenty-fourth Corps, off duty, was paraded on either side of 
the road. The bands played national airs. The negro troops looked fine. 
They were delighted to see us, — pure, genuine delight. 

" I was agreeably disappointed at the appearance and bearing of the 
colored troops, and all my prejudices vanished. 

"We marched to Wilmington, about nine miles. On the road Widdis 
got sick, and by resting and slow walking we did not reach Wilmington 
until night. We quartered in vacant houses. Every prisoner I talked with 
pronounced the first day of March, 1865, the happiest day of his life. 

" Embarked on the steamer ' Sedgwick' about three o'clock p.m., March 
2, and lay in the stream all night. Next morning weighed anchor and 
sailed to the mouth of the Cape Fear River, opposite Fort Fisher. On 
the following morning passed the bar, and sea-sickness began to manifest 
itself, a majority of those on board being overcome by it." 

[After a stormy voyage of two days the "Sedgwick" reached Fortress 
Monroe, March 6, about six p.m., took on provisions, and left for Annapolis 
about eight p.m. She arrived at Annapolis on the morning of the 7th.] 



2/2 



APPENDIX. 



BATTLES OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH PENN- 
SYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS* 



Number of Killed and Mortally Wounded in each. 

Gettysburg, July i, 2, and 3, 1863 

Wilderness, May 5 and 6, 1864 

Laurel Hill and Spottsylvania, May 8 to 12, i 

North Anna, May 23, 1864 

Bethesda Church, May 30, 1864 

Cold Harbor, June i, 1864 

Petersburg, 1864 

Weldon Railroad, August 20, 1864 

Hatcher's Run, October 27 and 28, i8d 

Dabney's Mill, February 6, 1865 

Total killed or mortally wounded 



57 

22 

15 

2 
I 



I 
I 

__5 
114 



* Colonel Fox's figures in " Regimental Losses" are accepted for the most part. 
He omits Cold Harbor altogether. 



APPENDIX. 



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APPENDIX. 



WEEKLY REPORT OF SICK, WOUNDED, ETC., OF THE ONE HUN- 
DRED AND FIFTIETH PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 
By H. M. KiEFFER, Hospital Steward. (From his Diary.) 





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276 APPENDIX. 

NAMES AND DATE OF 'DEATH OF OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE 
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS, 
AS REPORTED TO SERGEANT CHARLES P. HAUPT, SECRETARY 
OF SURVIVORS' ASSOCIATION.* 

Private George Sharpless, Company A, date unknown. 
Private George Dunckley, Company B, date unknown. 
Private George Styer, Company B, date unknown. 
Private Malilon Breyman, Company D, date uiiknown. 
Private Michael Brian, Company D, date unknown. 
Private James M. Chambers, Company D, date unknown. 
Private Ammon L. Houck, Company D, date unknown. 
Private John Hafer, Company D, date unknown. 
Private Simon Malehorn, Company D, date unknown. 
Private George F. Oberdorf, Company D, date unknown. 
Private William Stahl, Company D, date unknown. 
Corporal George '^ . BarkdoU, Company D, date unknown. 
Corporal Samuel Ruhl, Company D, date unknown. 
Sergeant Samuel Kerstetter, Company D, date unknown. 
Corporal Jonathan Carr, Company F, date unknown. 
Private William Regens, Company F, date unknown. 
Private Bruno Albaugh, Company K, date unknown. 
Private Hiram Smith, Company D, June 2, 1865. 
Private John F. Fox, Company D, about 187c. 
Private Henry Deal, Company D, July 28, 187 1. 
Private Jonathan Seaman, Company D, January 10, 1880. 
Private David Page, Company D, June 20, 1885. 
Musician Charles E. Zebley, Company F, August 12, 1885. 
Captain Harvey Fisher, Company A, August 31, 1885. 

Private 'Nathan Peck, Company D, , 1885. 

Private James Mawhorter, Company B, February 6, 1886. 
Corporal Amos Browand, Company D, May 18, 1886. 
First Lieutenant William M. Taylor, Company A, April 25, 1887. 
Private Wilson Lashells, Company D, October i, 1887. 
Private Andrew Batzel, Company F, September 28, 1889. 
Sergeant George W. Pastor, Company E, March 5, 1890. 
Captain William P. Dougal, Company D, July 8, 1890. 
Sergeant William S. McGinley, Company E, August 4, 1890. 

* A complete list, if obtainable, would fill many pages. 



APPENDIX. 277 

Private Simon Erdley, Company D, August — , 1890. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Cornelius C. Widdis, Company A, December 22, 

1890. 
Private Isaiah B. Dewees, Company A, December 27, 1890. 
Private Joseph Jordan, Company A, February 3, 1891. 
Second Lieutenant Joseph Chatburn, Company F, February 16, 1891. 
Corporal George W. Bates, Company F, February 23, 1891. 
First Lieutenant Franklin B. Jaggard, Company E, March 3, 1891. 
Brevet Brigadier-General Langhorne Wister, March 19, 1891. 
Captain D. \ . Derickson, Company K, July 18, 1891. 
Sergeant Hoover J. Shannon, Company C, January 18, 1892. 
Private Jacob Myers, Company A, March 19, 1892. 

Musician Ernest Fowler, Company I, , 1892. 

Captain William S. Pine, Company E, October 4, 1892. 
Private Charles A. Nuneviller, Company A, December 17, 1892. 
Musician Eli A. Eastman, Company H, March — , 1893. 
Private Joseph P. Bailey, Company F, April 7, 1893. 
Private Charles J. Lehman, Company A, April 19, 1893. 

Private Aaron Ammon, Company D, , 1893. • 

Private Isaac Linn, Company D, , 1893. 

Corporal Augustus Stadelman, Company B, April 25, 1893. 

Private Abraham Dannenhower, Company E, , 1893. 

Private John Doran, Company B, , 1894. 

Corporal Tobias Lister, Company B, , 1894. 

Captain Arthur S. Voorhis (Quartermaster), August 17, 1894. 
Private Conrad Redifer, Company A, October 4, 1894. 
Corporal Charles Ravenor, Company E, January 7, 1895. 



THE END. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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